Florida Housing Launches Statewide Hardest-Hit Fund Program (HHF)
Help is on the way for thousands of Florida unemployed or underemployed home owners who are struggling to avoid foreclosure. on Tuesday, April 5, Florida Housing Finance Corporation (Florida Housing) announced that home owners who are having difficulty paying their mortgages, will be able to apply for financial assistance from the Florida Hardest-Hit Fund (HHF) beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday, April 18.
Steve Auger, executive director of Florida Housing said on Tuesday “For the homeowners who qualify, this temporary relief from their mortgage payments will provide some ‘breathing room’ so they can focus on becoming re-employed at a level that will allow them to resume making payments on their own.”
On April 18th, 2011, troubled homeowners in all 67 Florida counties who want to apply for HHF assistance will be able to do so. Because of the red tape and massive paperwork involved, I suggest home owners consult a licensed Florida Realtor to help in navigating the process and the paperwork.
Florida homeowners BEWARE! There are several “imposter” and “copycat” websites posing as HHF application sites have been identified. Once the application process opens, applicants are strongly encouraged to verify that the website they are using is, in fact, the official Florida HHF website before providing their personal information. If applicants are suspicious about a website, they can submit an anonymous report on the official HHF website by clicking the “Report Fraud” link on the homepage. Also, they may call the Florida HHF Information Line at 1-877-863-5244 to ensure they are using the correct website address. Application for the Florida Hardest-Hit Fund program is FREE-OF-CHARGE, and applicants will not be asked to pay for any eligibility determination services in conjunction with applying for the program.
Florida Housing Finance Corporation (Florida Housing) was directed by Treasury to use a portion of these funds specifically for targeted unemployment programs that provide temporary assistance to eligible homeowners. These targeted unemployment programs are as follows:
• Unemployment Mortgage Assistance Program (UMAP) will provide up to six (6) months of payments (with a cap of $12,000) to the mortgage lender to assist unemployed/underemployed borrowers with their first mortgage until they can resume full payments on their own.
• Mortgage Loan Reinstatement Payment (MLRP) Program will be used to bring a delinquent mortgage current (up to $6,000) for a homeowner who has returned to work or recovered from underemployment.
Homeowners from across the state will be able to submit applications via the HHF website. For additional information (including detailed eligibility criteria) and/or to apply for these programs visit the HHF website at www.FLHardestHitHelp.org. or call a licensed Florida Realtor.
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