A former Pittsburgh Steeler who became an entrepreneur after his glory days on the gridiron, Charles Sanders has earned a reputation for providing title services and loan origination work for people buying houses.

But he shifted gears last year just before the bottom fell out of the real estate market and refocused his company, Urban Settlement Services, to provide loan modification work for the avalanche of people who were at risk of losing their homes.

"We saw it coming," said Mr. Sanders. "We saw all those loans that we had been working on for 10 years, and with the job losses and the way they were set up, we knew they were going into foreclosure.

"So we knew we had to come up with something that was going to help banks with loan modifications."

There has never been a better time to be in the business of helping homeowners in distress because never before has the federal government made such an enormous commitment to saving homes from foreclosure.

President Barack Obama's federal modification program calls for $75 billion worth of funding to provide relief for people stuck with the highest-interest loans who cannot get refinancing with their present lenders.

Mr. Sanders said revenues at his company, located in the Allegheny Center complex on the North Side, have grown from $10 million two years ago to $52 million last year. He has hired 200 people so far and is on track to make $100 million this year thanks to the government funds.

"We came up with loan modifications at the right time," said the Penn Hills native. "But you've got to have someone put the money in this whole thing, and the government is doing that."

While his company has been operating for 11 years, Mr. Sanders has been working in various aspects of the mortgage industry for 18 years.

He said his company works with major banks throughout the nation, such as Bank of America, to service mortgage loans that are in default. His employees contact the homeowners on behalf of the banks to work out a plan to save their homes.

Their methods include lowering the interest rate, extending payment terms and even lowering the principal loan amount so that the owners can afford to make the payments.

The billions of dollars in stimulus money the federal government provides is used to pay such companies as Urban Settlement Services and reimburse the banks for losses they incur due to the modified mortgages.

"What's important to note is we partner with the banks," said Mr. Sanders, who played for the Steelers in 1986-87 as a running back. "The bank's primary goal when they call us is to keep people in their homes."

Nick Nichols Jr., president and CEO of the Western Pennsylvania Minority Supplier Development Council, said he has known Mr. Sanders for about eight years and recently met with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl to express how important it is that the city try to keep Mr. Sanders in Pittsburgh.

"He has had various offers from other cities," Mr. Nichols said. "Chuck is a very benevolent citizen. He is very important to this community. He hires a lot of people and doesn't mind giving."

The Western Pennsylvania Minority Supplier Development Council is hosting its annual business opportunity fair today at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Urban Settlement Services is among this year's key sponsors.