Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) announced it helped 1,295 households to stay in their homes through the Oregon Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF).
OHCS remains committed to ensuring homeowners can afford to stay in their homes. The program offers federal temporary COVID-19 emergency mortgage relief intended to support homeowners who have experienced financial hardships.
Jason Gist of Grants Pass is one of the households who were able to keep their homes. Gist lost his job due to the pandemic and then watched his savings dwindle away. But thanks to this program, he was able to stay out of foreclosure.
Gist said the Homeowner Assistance Fund made a profound difference in his life. He said it's not just financial assistance -- it's a lifeline for homeowners facing unprecedented challenges and he's grateful for their support and commitment to helping individuals like him navigate uncertain times.
Administered by OHCS, HAF provides up to $50,000 to help low- and moderate-income homeowners bring past due mortgages and housing expenses current. Low-income homeowners may receive an additional $10,000 for up to six months of ongoing assistance with monthly mortgage payments and housing costs.
OHCS will provide $72 million of assistance for Oregon households, with nearly half of those helped living in rural areas.
Homeowners can get free help from certified housing counselors around the state to learn about budgeting tools and evaluation of options to keep their homes such as modifications, adding deferred payments to the end of a mortgage or HAF. For more information, visit "oregon.gov/ohcs."
