Is There Still Help Paying Your Mortgage?

What was the Homeowner Assistance Fund?

The Homeowner Assistance Fund A $9.96 billion federal program from the American Rescue Plan Act that helped pandemic-affected homeowners avoid foreclosure through state-run mortgage assistance. Closed to new aid after September 30, 2026. Learn more → , or HAF, came from the American Rescue Plan Act. It put nearly $10 billion toward homeowners facing financial hardship tied to COVID-19. The money went to states, U.S. territories and tribes, which ran their own programs, and it could pay for mortgage payments, homeowner's insurance, utility bills and some other housing costs (Treasury). Not every program covered every cost, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) notes.

Most programs gave grants that didn't have to be paid back, but some could require repayment. Approved money usually went straight to your servicer, utility company or repair contractor. Applying never guaranteed you'd get anything (CFPB).

Can I still apply for HAF?

Generally, no. The U.S. Department of the Treasury set September 30, 2026, as the end of the period for HAF awards, and programs can't commit new money after that date (Treasury). The CFPB had warned that the program would end in September 2026 or when the money ran out, whichever came first, so a program could close sooner (CFPB).

If a program approved you before the deadline, ask it about payments still being processed. Treasury's closeout rules let programs finish paying approved help for costs from before September 30, 2026 (Treasury). That isn't a new chance to apply. Programs' final reports to Treasury are due January 28, 2027, and that date is paperwork for the programs, not a deadline for you (Treasury).

You may also see September 30, 2025. That's the date in the law that created HAF, which kept its money available until then (15 U.S.C. § 9058d). Treasury's deadline for the programs' awards came a year later.

I haven't found a federal program that replaced HAF with new cash for homeowners. What's left is below.

What help is left?

Most of the help that remains is built into your loan. You ask for it through your servicer The company that collects your monthly mortgage payments. This may not be the same company that originally gave you the loan. Learn more → , the company you pay, and what you can get depends on who backs your loan. These are changes to how you repay, with conditions. They aren't free money.

• Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans. A pause on payments, a deferral of what you missed, or a Flex Modification, which Freddie Mac describes as designed to resolve late payments and help homeowners stay in their homes (Freddie Mac). Fannie Mae requires a trial payment plan before a permanent modification (Fannie Mae Servicing Guide D2-3.2-06).
• FHA loans. For a loan insured by the Federal Housing Administration, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) lists options to keep the home that include partial claims, modifications, the two together, and payment supplements (HUD Handbook 4000.1).
• VA loans. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says its partial claim program is open for submissions. If your VA loan is 61 days past due, VA automatically assigns a loan technician to review it (VA).
• USDA guaranteed loans. For a loan guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the lender must consider its standard options, in a set order, to resolve a default (7 C.F.R. § 3555.303).

The details, loan by loan: pausing your payments and changing your loan.

Some states also run their own programs for homeowners. Your state's foreclosure guide lists them, along with your state's rules and deadlines.

Free counseling

HUD-approved housing counseling agencies give foreclosure-prevention counseling for free. A counselor can help you talk to your servicer and understand what it has offered, and may ask for your pay stubs, tax returns, recent bank statements and other monthly bills. A counselor can't promise you'll keep your home (CFPB). The CFPB's Find a Counselor tool lists agencies near you, and so does our directory.

If you're a veteran or a veteran's surviving spouse, VA offers counseling even if your loan isn't a VA loan (VA).

How do I spot a mortgage relief scam?

Scammers make the same few pitches. These are the ones the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the CFPB and a state attorney general warn about:

• They want money up front. It's illegal for a mortgage relief company to charge you anything until it has given you a written offer from your lender and you've accepted it. A lawyer can take an up-front fee only under narrow conditions, and a lawyer working for a company doesn't make the company legitimate or let it charge you first (FTC).
• They tell you to stop talking to your lender. A company that tells you that is breaking the law (FTC).
• They want your payments sent to them. Paying anyone other than your lender or servicer is a warning sign (CFPB). A fake counselor can take your money and never pay your lender, and your loan goes into default (FTC).
• They rush you. Pressure to act right away, or to sign papers you don't understand, is a warning sign (CFPB).
• They want you to sign over your deed. Transferring the deed doesn't transfer the mortgage, so you'd still owe the payments (FTC). Washington's attorney general describes papers sold as a new loan that actually give the scammers ownership of the home, while the victim still owes the mortgage (Washington Attorney General).
• They promise results. A forensic loan audit can't be promised to get you a modification. Even if you sue your lender and win, it doesn't have to change your loan just to make the payments affordable. A reputable lawyer doesn't guarantee results (FTC).
• They say they're with the government. Real government officials never ask for payment to help you (CFPB). Mortgage relief companies have to say in their ads that they're not associated with the government and that the government and your lender haven't approved their services (FTC).

If something feels off, call your servicer yourself, at the number on your monthly statement.

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