Read My Lips: A Refi Plan Is Coming

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Thursday he expects a U.S. housing

regulator in the coming weeks to detail mortgage refinance programs that could help the battered housing market.

“My sense is, based on what I’ve seen…it’s going to be meaningful enough to make a difference,” Mr. Geithner said at a Senate Banking Committee hearing.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees government-controlled mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, is evaluating ways to help more troubled homeowners refinance their mortgages at the lowest rates in a half-century.

“They are looking at a range of things and you’ll see more details in a couple of weeks,” Mr. Geithner said.

More: Six Steps That Could Boost Refinancing