SUNnews: Homeowner Assistance Fund Update, September 2022

Under ARPA, Connecticut received about $123 million to establish MyHomeCT, which is funded by HAF. The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) administers the funds. To date, the program has awarded $4.9 million to 320 households and remains open.

The Delaware State Housing Authority received a little over $40 million for its HAF plan and has distributed just over $1 million of that funding to 200 households. The vast majority of the funds have been applied to mortgage payments. The fund remains open

In April 2022, Illinois began accepting applications from homeowners for grants of up to $30,000 per household. To date, the Illinois Emergency Homeowner Assistance Fund has awarded $309 million. The fund is no longer accepting applications.

The Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund received over $248 million in grant and loan monies and has awarded $30.7 million to date. The awards for mortgage and housing assistance and emergency repair went to just over 1,600 applicants. The fund remains open.

The Massachusetts HAF Program provides up to $50,000 in financial assistance to eligible homeowners. To date, the program has awarded $107 million in mortgage relief to 1,541 households from a pool of $180 million in aid. The majority of the funding went to Springfield, with 634 applicants to date. The fund remains open.

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) received $24 million to support the Michigan HAF (MIHAF) program. To date, the program has awarded $36.5 million to 5,203 eligible homeowners. The fund remains open.

The New Jersey Emergency Rescue Mortgage Assistance (ERMA) program provides up to $35,000 per household for COVID-related housing expenses. The fund remains open.

As of June 30, 2022, the Save the Dream Ohio fund had disbursed $35 million in HAF funds to 6,470 households from a pool of $280 million. The fund remains open.

Under ARPA, the U.S. Treasury allocated $350 million to the Pennsylvania Homeowner Assistance Fund (PAHAF). To date, the fund has disbursed $36 million to 4,664 applicants. The fund remains open.

The Homeowner Assistance Fund Rhode Island (HAF-RI) program received $50 million and has disbursed $19 million to 755 applicants to date. Due to a high volume of applications outpacing available funds, the program was suspended in March.

The Wisconsin Help for Homeowners (WHH) received $92 million in federal funding to provide a maximum of $40,000 in assistance for eligible households. The fund remains open.

Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, it is illegal to discriminate in any credit transaction:

Deny a loan for the purpose of purchasing, constructing, improving, repairing or maintaining a dwelling, or to deny any loan secured by a dwelling; or discriminate in fixing the amount, interest rate, duration, application procedures, or other terms or conditions of such a loan, or in appraising property.

If you believe you have been discriminated against, send a complaint to:

Consumer Finance Protection Bureau
1700 G Street
Washington, DC 20552

1-855-411-2372 (voice), 1-855-729-2372 (TTY)
More than 180 languages available

Under the Federal Fair Housing Act, it is illegal, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, handicap, or familial status (having children under the age of 18) to:

Deny a loan for the purpose of purchasing, constructing, improving, repairing or maintaining a dwelling, or to deny any loan secured by a dwelling; or discriminate in fixing the amount, interest rate, duration, application procedures, or other terms or conditions of such a loan, or in appraising property.

If you believe you have been discriminated against, send a complaint to:

Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Washington, DC 20410

1-800-669-9777 (voice), 1-800-927-9275 (TTY)

For processing under the Federal Fair Housing Act