A bill to help thousands of Washington homeowners avoid foreclosure has passed the Legislature and awaits the governor’s signature.

Under Senate Bill 6033, which is sponsored by Sen. Jean Berkey, D-Everett, a statewide pool of volunteer professionals will be recruited to help families and individuals with incomes up to 140 percent of the county median income renegotiate their mortgage terms.

“The beauty of this bill is it doesn’t add another layer of bureaucracy or cost a lot of money,” Berkey said. “We are using private sector talent to help families. This is a team approach.”

The PROOF program (Prevent or Reduce Owner-Occupied Foreclosure) matches homeowners with certified housing counselors and other financial experts to help homeowners save their most valuable asset.

“People need help understanding their options, and that’s exactly what this program was created to do.”

Senate Bill 6033 complements another anti-foreclosure bill expected to become law. Senate Bill 5810, co-sponsored by Berkey, gives homeowners more options and time to negotiate with lenders and protects them against lenders who refuse to take reasonable steps to work with them.

The Housing Finance Commission, which will administer the program, must establish an oversight committee to evaluate the success of the program.