The government could soon get into the landlord business.

The Detroit News says the program is aimed at making housing more affordable and keeping homes occupied.

However, local realtors say it's a bad idea.

There's a program in Detroit right now that wants to turn foreclosed properties into rental units.

They'd be managed by private groups, but realtors are worried the government may want to do more.

Henry Tannenbaum, owner of TDM Realtors in Flint says, "The government should not be competing with its taxpaying citizens for the same dollar."

Tannenbaum manages around 400 properties. He says he takes the risk of buying them, fixing them up, and trying to rent them and that having big brother as competition scares him.

"When I get a home back and it needs $5,000 or $6,000 in rehabilitation and the government gets a $2 million grant from Washington, it's not a level paying field."

Tannenbaum says the government could lower the going rate for rent, meaning all of his properties could lose money.

Realtor Patrick Welty of Legacy Realty says private landlords would not be the only losers. "Are they going to be responsible for paying taxes? Landlords pay the non-homestead rate of taxes, which is a higher level than what homeowners pay, so the sacrifice to the local municipality would be even greater."

Both realtors say the market should determine pricing.

They say if the market gets more flooded with foreclosures, their prices will go down and the market will react.

However, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says in a statement, "Exploring new options for selling these foreclosed properties will help expand access to affordable rental housing, promote private investment in local housing markets and support neighborhood and home-price stability."

Opponents say it would create more government bureaucracy that would cost taxpayers more in the long run.

The idea is still in its beginning stages.

The government set up a website set up showing the locations of foreclosed properties.