VHFA was able to help Vermont homeowners earlier in the pandemic with its Mortgage Assistance Program (MAP). That program assisted nearly 900 households with a total of $10 million in mortgage and property tax assistance, awarded by the VT Legislature. New federal funding will allow HAP to offer expanded its criteria to cover homeowners who do not have a mortgage or who have a reverse mortgage, and it will also cover utility bills and homeowner and condominium association fees to help even more households facing financial challenges.
The Homeowner Assistance Program is available to any Vermont homeowner who meets the eligibility criteria and is not just for VHFA mortgage borrowers. The program is available to Vermont homeowners for expenses related to their primary home, who meet income limits, and who are behind on their bills due to a financial hardship associated with the coronavirus pandemic after January 21, 2020.
“Since the HAP funding is provided as a one-time-only grant, we highly encourage homeowners to talk with a local HUD-approved housing counselor prior to applying,” remarked Eric Hoffman, VHFA’s Manager of Business Development, who previously worked as a foreclosure intervention counselor. “Their free counseling services can help applicants make sure they are taking advantage of all the loss-mitigation tools that may be available to them.”
More information and application materials are available at vermonthap.vhfa.org. The website is available in several languages and includes information about how applicants can access additional translation and application assistance. A Homeowner Assistance Program information hotline is open 8 am – 5 pm, Monday through Friday, at 833-221-4208.
The VT Homeowner Assistance Program is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number HAFP-0040 awarded to the State of Vermont by the US Department of the Treasury.
