Make it mandatory for every mortgage to come with a "mortgage payment buffer" equal to 5% of the number of months on the total mortgage.
Using a 30 year mortgage (360 months) as an example....
The mortgage would be extended by 18 months (5% of 360 months). Also, the borrower would be given 18 payment vounchers that could be used as payment at any time during the life of the mortgage.
This built-in buffer could also be applied retroactively to existing mortgages, and could potentially save many homes/families.