CLEVELAND -- Thousands of Ohioans are unable to make their house payments, and Ohio is nearly leading the country with the highest foreclosure rates.

The growing national problem affects 3.5 to 4 percent of all the state's mortgages.

That is the subject of a foreclosure summit being held Tuesday, sponsored by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and led by state Treasurer Richard Cordray and several local political leaders.

The group is trying to better define refinancing options to homebuyers and discover who potentially will be among the next group of foreclosure victims.

The big default issues, soft home prices and risky subprime loans, are also being discussed.

"That's definitely part of the problem. We have people who are shoveled into homes on a short-term basis with no regard as to whether they can stay there in the long run," said Cordray. "It has ruined their credit. People claimed this is their pursuit of the American dream, but it's become the American nightmare."

The most recent foreclosure filings nationwide rose 65 percent compared to the same month last year, causing more than 1 million families to default on their housing payments.

Cordray said consumers should take a house-buying course before making a purchase, know what they can afford and be careful of adjustable loans.

He said the crisis will continue for at least a couple more years.