COVID-19 Iowa Homeowner Foreclosure Prevention Program

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Assistance for Homeowners

Mortgage payment assistance for income-eligible homeowners impacted by COVID-19 who are at risk of foreclosure.

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Homeowner Assistance Fund

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Available Assistance

Mortgage Payment Assistance
Up to four months of mortgage assistance for delinquent borrowers, through the current month ($3,600 maximum).

Eligibility

Current homeowners at imminent risk of foreclosure
At risk of foreclosure due to a documented COVID-19-related loss of income on or after March 13, 2020
Household income may not exceed: 80% Area Median Income (AMI) at time of application

Required Documentation

Pay stub, federal income tax return, unemployment benefit documents or other income prior to job loss or reduction in income
Pay stub, federal income tax return, unemployment benefit documents or other income after reduction in income
Latest mortgage statement
14-day Cure Notice or other legal document received advising that your loan will be sent to an attorney to initiate foreclosure (if applicable)

Apply Now

Applicants are required to complete the pre-application screening below. Upon successful completion of this screening checklist, the applicant will be provided with the link to the full application, prior to accessing the full application.

Pre-Application Checklist

Legal Assistance

If you are at imminent risk of foreclosure and need legal assistance, Iowa Legal Aid may be able to assist you at no cost.

Phone: 1-800-532-1275 | Online Help

Frequently Asked Questions

1. I received mortgage assistance in 2020 through the previous Iowa Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Program. Am I eligible to apply for assistance through the new program?

Yes. Homeowners who received mortgage assistance through the previous Iowa Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Program are eligible to apply for the new Iowa Homeowner Foreclosure Prevention Program. In addition, any funds received through the 2020 program do not count towards the household’s maximum assistance amount of $3,600 under the new program.

2. How will payments be made?

Once an application is approved, a single, one-time payment will be issued directly to the mortgage servicer.

3. Am I guaranteed assistance once I apply?

No, an application is not a guarantee of assistance.

Applications will be prioritized based upon the immediate threat of the loss of the home to foreclosure or the initiation of the foreclosure process by your lender.

All applications will be reviewed for eligibility and will receive assistance if funding is available. You will be notified of the status of your application once the review has been completed.

If your application is missing information or needs clarification, the application review team may contact you requesting further information. This request will include a deadline for submission, and if the information requested is not received in full by the deadline, the application will not receive assistance.

Additionally, applications that could be considered eligible may not receive assistance if funding is no longer available under the program based on demand.

4. What types of mortgages are eligible for assistance through the program?

The applicant must be an owner of record, title or interest.

Eligible:
Conventional mortgages
Mortgages through Habitat for Humanity affiliates
Government backed loan or mortgage backed security (FHA, VA, RD or Fannie, Freddie, Sallie Mae).

Ineligible:
Manufactured home loans
Contract sales

5. My household has received other mortgage assistance from a local, state or federal program, can I still apply?

Yes. your household may still apply to and receive assistance from the Iowa Homeowner Foreclosure Assistance Program, so long as the assistance is not for the same month(s) mortgage payment for which the other assistance was applied.

6. What should I do if I realize I made a mistake in my application after submission?

Please do not submit another application since duplicate applications will only slow the review process. Instead, email the housing recovery team explaining the error and providing the correct information. Be sure to include your first and last name and complete address in the email and enter the subject line of your email as “FORECLOSURE APPLICATION CORRECTION.”

8. What is the difference between Eviction Prevention and Foreclosure Prevention?

Eviction Prevention helps a tenant prevent eviction through rental assistance payments made directly to the tenant’s landlord. Foreclosure Prevention helps a homeowner avoid foreclosure through mortgage assistance payments made directly to the homeowner’s mortgage loan servicer.

8. I applied for assistance under the state’s COVID-19 Homeowner Foreclosure Prevention Program. Why am I being contacted by another agency?

IFA has contracted with partner organizations to provide administrative support under the program and may contact applicants to request follow-up information.

9. Will funds received through a state COVID-19 relief program be taxed as income?

More information will be forthcoming as guidance becomes available in regard to state taxes for other COVID-19 relief programs. Please reference the Internal Revenue Service Guidance for information on federal taxes as they relate to COVID-19 relief funds.

10. What can I do while I wait to receive a response to my application?

Log into your application at any time to check its review status.
We also recommend that you check your email inbox frequently (at least daily), including the spam folder, to make sure you are seeing, and responding to, any communications that may have been sent by the program administrator handling your application, as well as emails from the Iowa Finance Authority.

11. What kinds of documentation is acceptable to document the loss of a job or decrease in my income due to COVID-19?

In order of preference:

Paystubs from your previous/current employers showing you income both pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19.
2020 Federal Income Tax Returns (pages 1 and 2 only)
Documentation received from Iowa Workforce Development showing unemployment benefits received in 2020 and/or 2021.
Notarized Loss of Income Statement.

12. I have received a 14-day demand for payment notice from my lender that my loan is being sent to an attorney to start foreclosure. Am I still eligible for assistance?

Yes. Under the Assistance needed section, there is a place to upload this notice from your lender. This will place your application in a priority status so that we can work quickly to get in touch with your lender to avoid the inclusion of attorney fees and costs.

13. Is utility assistance available for homeowners?

No. Utility assistance is not available through the Iowa Homeowner Foreclosure Prevention Program.

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