New Mexico's Attorney General is encouraging struggling homeowners to take advantage of a mortgage payment reduction program offered by the government that expires at the end of the year.

Hector Balderas said in a news release that homeowners who may soon be behind on their home loan payments should apply to the Home Affordable Modification Program to avoid foreclosure.

The program is designed to help homeowners obtain loan modifications with affordable payments. Interest rates can drop as low as 2 percent, and the program limits the monthly housing payment at 31 percent of a family's gross monthly income, according to the state Attorney General's office.

The program ends at the end of the year, but people are still eligible if they turn in their applications by Dec. 31.

Though Albuquerque's foreclosure rate has been steadily declining since 2012, it's sill higher than the national foreclosure rate.

In August 2016, the latest data available, the metro's foreclosure rate hit 1.68 percent, the lowest seen since April of 2009, according to data from CoreLogic.

Still, that was higher than the national foreclosure rate, which was 0.90 percent in August.

Albuquerque's highest foreclosure inventory rate hit 4.20 percent in April of 2012. Click here to read more.