Keep Your Home California Debuts New Interactive Website
See if this new program can help you save your home. Call me with questions and other possible options!
Keep Your Home California has launched an easier-to-use website at www.KeepYourHomeCalifornia.org, allowing homeowners to answer questions online and determine if they are a good candidate for the free mortgage assistance program, and, if so, which program works best for them.
The federally funded program helps homeowners who have suffered a financial hardship, such as a job loss, a reduction in pay, divorce, or significant health care expenses, to make their mortgage payments.
The program, administered by the California Housing Finance Agency, can only help homeowners if they meet income requirements and their mortgage servicers participate in the program. More than 100 servicers now participate in the Keep Your Home California, so most mortgages in California are serviced by a participating Keep Your Home California servicer.
The website also includes lists of participating servicers and HUD-approved housing counselors who support the program and can help homeowners in-person.
Homeowners can obtain full details of the four programs:
- Unemployment Mortgage Assistance Program: Homeowners can receive as much as $3,000 per month in mortgage assistance for up to nine months. Homeowners must be currently receiving or approved to receive jobless benefits from the state Employment Development Department.
- Mortgage Reinstatement Assistance Program: Homeowners can receive as much as $25,000 in assistance to help them “catch up” on their past-due mortgage payments. Homeowners must have suffered a financial hardship and be able to make their mortgage payments going forward.
- Principal Reduction Program: Homeowners can get as much as $100,000 in principal reduction. To qualify, the homeowner must have suffered a financial hardship and be able to make their mortgage payments in the future. Also, the current market value of the home must be less than what is owed on the mortgage, that is, “underwater.”
- Transition Assistance Program: Homeowners can collect up to $5,000 to cover relocation costs as part of a servicer-approved short sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure of their home.
Homeowners seeking more information about the program should call 888-954-KEEP (5337) between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. The Keep Your Home California counseling center can answer questions in virtually any language, and there is never a charge for services through Keep Your Home California. A Spanish-language version of the website is available at www.ConservaTuCasaCalifornia.org.