AAFF

The Asian American Federation of Florida (AAFF) is a 501(c)(3) coalition that aims to unity and collaboration among the various Asian Pacific American organizations and to improve the relationship of a culturally diverse Asian Pacific American community in Florida. The AAFF is a statewide organization made up of more than 70 Bangladesh, Burmese, Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Iranian, Korean, Laotian, Taiwanese, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese faith-based and community-based organizations, businesses and media.

 

HUD AND NEIGHBORWORKS® AMERICA ANNOUNCE
EMERGENCY HOMEOWNERS' LOAN PROGRAM

Program is Designed to Help Homeowners at Risk of Foreclosure

June 20, 2011 -
WASHINGTON -  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in conjunction with NeighborWorks® America announced the launch of the Emergency Homeowners' Loan Program (EHLP) today, to help homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure in 27 states across the country and Puerto Rico.

Congress provided $1 billion dollars to HUD, as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, to implement EHLP. The program will assist homeowners who have experienced a reduction in income and are at risk of foreclosure due to involuntary unemployment, underemployment, due to economic conditions or a medical condition.
Under EHLP program guidelines eligible homeowners can qualify for an interest free loan which pays a portion of their monthly mortgage for up to two years, or up to $50,000, whichever comes first.
 
 
 
The EHLP program is a complement to the Hardest Hit Fund which makes available $7.6 billion to 18 states and the District of Columbia that were hardest hit by the housing crisis. The EHLP program will be offered in the following states: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming and Puerto Rico. Five states operating substantially similar programs are administering EHLP directly: Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. With today's launch, mortgage assistance is now available for unemployed and underemployed homeowners in every state.
Contact information for participating agencies, the Pre-Applicant Screening Worksheet and more information on the EHLP program and its eligibility requirements can be found a twww.FindEHLP.org or by calling toll free at 855-FIND-EHLP (346-3345).
About the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and epanol.hud.gov
About NeighborWorks® America
NeighborWorks® America creates opportunities for people to improve their lives and strengthen their communities by providing access to homeownership and to safe and affordable rental housing. Since 1991, we have assisted nearly 1.2 million low- to moderate-income families with their housing needs. Much of our success is achieved through our support of the NeighborWorks network's more than 235 community development organizations working in more than 4,400 urban, suburban and rural communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In the last five years, NeighborWorks organizations have generated more than $15 billion in reinvestment in these communities. NeighborWorks America is the nation's leading trainer of community development and affordable housing professionals.
 
 NOTE:

Florida residents are not eligible for the Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program (EHLP) but can receive direct assistance through the U.S. Treasury's Innovation Fund for Hardest Hit Housing Market Program.
This site contains all the information you will need to begin your application for assistance, with step-by-step instructions and prompts to help you. In addition, there are facts about the program, answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) and other foreclosure avoidance information that may be helpful to you.
The federal government has allocated funding to help pay the mortgages of qualified homeowners who are unemployed or underemployed through no fault of their own. Troubled homeowners in all 67 counties who want to apply for HHF financial assistance will be able to do so via this website.
Homeowners who qualify for financial assistance may receive up to six (6) months of monthly mortgage payments (including escrowed mortgage-related payments) and/or funds to pay past due mortgage payments to bring the mortgage current; these funds are paid directly to the loan servicer/lender.
  • You must meet all eligibility requirements to be considered for the program. PLEASE NOTE: Reduction of income due to the death, divorce or disability of a borrower or co-borrower, or any other household members DOES NOT qualify as a financial hardship for the purposes of this program. Homeowners experiencing a reduction in household income as a result of these situations must also have a documented hardship due to unemployment or underemployment through no fault of their own, and not as a result of death, divorce, or disability of a borrower or co-borrower, or any other household member. Please review the following criteria prior to applying for HHF assistance.
    An eligible homeowner: 
    •  Must be a Florida resident;  
    •  Must occupy property as primary residence (the property cannot be vacant, abandoned or rented);
    •  Borrower/co-borrower must be unemployed or underemployed through no fault of his/her own, which makes the first mortgage unaffordable;
    •  Must have documented total household income at or below 140% of the area median income (AMI), adjusted for household size;
    •  Must have an active checking/savings account that can be debited by the ACH method of funds transfer;
    •  May not have unencumbered assets of $5,000 or more, or three times the current monthly mortgage payment (whichever is greater);
    •  Cannot have a bankruptcy that has not been discharged or dismissed; and
    •  Cannot have been convicted of a mortgage-related felony in the last 10 years.
The current mortgage:
  • Must be serviced by a participating lender, who agrees to accept payments on behalf of the homeowner;
  • Must not be more than 180 days past due at the time of application;
  • Must have been originated on or before January 1, 2009; and
  • Must have an existing principal balance of less than $400,000.
This list is not all inclusive; other information and documents will be required prior to determining eligibility for HHF financial assistance.
IMPORTANT ALERT!
Please be aware that www.FLHardestHitHelp.org is the OFFICIAL website for Florida's Hardest-Hit Fund (HHF) information and to apply for assistance. We strongly encourage you to verify that the website you are using is, in fact, the official Florida HHF website BEFORE you provide your personal information. If you are suspicious that the website you are using is not the correct site, contact the HHF Information Line toll-free at 1-(877) 863-5244 to verify the website address.

Application for the Florida's Hardest-Hit Fund program is FREE-OF-CHARGE and you will not be asked to pay for any eligibility determination services in conjunction with applying for the Florida HHF.

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