Another 84,868 individuals or families lost their homes to foreclosure in October – a 25-percent increase from the number of foreclosures in October 2007.

One in every 452 U.S. housing units received a foreclosure filing last month.

Meanwhile, the Labor Department reported Thursday that the number of workers filing new claims for jobless benefits rose last week to 516,000, the highest level since the weeks following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Anaysts polled by Reuters expecting initial claims to be only 484,000.

"This is unremitting bad news. It will continue to be a major issue," David Wyss, chief economist at Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, told Reuters.

On the home foreclosures, according to RealtyTrac, an online marketplace for foreclosures, 279,561 struggling borrowers last month received foreclosure filings, including default notices, notices of auction sales and bank repossessions – a 5-percent increase from September.

“We’ve seen sharp declines in new foreclosure filings after legislation mandating delays to the foreclosure process was signed into law in several states — most notably in California, where overall foreclosure activity was down by double-digit percentage points for the second straight month in October, and where default filings were 44 percent below October 2007 levels,” RealtyTrac CEO James J. Saccacio said in a statement. “Despite this, October marks the 34th consecutive month where U.S. foreclosure activity has increased compared to the prior year.

“While the intention behind this legislation — to prevent more foreclosures — is admirable, without a more integrated approach that includes significant loan modifications, the net effect may be merely delaying inevitable foreclosures. And in the meantime, the apparent slowing of foreclosure activity understates the severity of the foreclosure problem in these states.”

CNNMoney.com notes that a total of 936,439 homes have been lost to foreclosure since the housing crisis hit in August 2007.

Since August, when 304,000 homes were in default, putting 91,000 families out on the street, several states have adopted legislation to freeze foreclosures and give homeowners a chance to modify their mortgages. That has helped a bit.

Meanwhile, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced rules aimed at helping Americans shop for mortgages more effectively and to help them avoid bad loan offers.

For the first time, HUD will require that lenders and mortgage brokers provide consumers with a standard good faith estimate that clearly discloses key loan terms and closing costs. HUD estimates its new regulation will save consumers nearly $700 at the closing table.

"It has been a long road but today we can finally announce a better way to buy homes in America," said HUD Secretary Steve Preston. "Consumers need and deserve to know what they’re getting themselves into before they sign on the dotted line. After carefully considering the concerns of consumers and the different businesses in the housing sector, we have developed an approach that empowers the average family to shop for the most appropriate loan to meet their needs."

But The Wall Street Journal reports that the agency doesn’t have the power to actually enforce the new rules.

Legislation would be required to give HUD those powers to penalize violators of the rules, which include requiring a three-page "good faith estimate" for borrowers explaining rates, fees, any prepayment penalties and the possibility of later increases in monthly payments. But HUD officials said state and federal regulators of lenders and brokers can insist on compliance with federal rules and even threaten class-action lawsuits if necessary.