You Have Just 10 Weeks to Apply for Pennsylvania Rent & Mortgage Assistance

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania received $3.9 billion in aid from the federal CARES Act for the coronavirus pandemic.  In May, the Pennsylvania General Assembly directed $175 million of that aid to the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) to provide help to renters and homeowners struggling to make ends meet.  Of that $175 million, $150 million will be used for rent assistance, and $25 million will be used for mortgage assistance.

Applying for Rent Relief

In order to qualify for rent relief:

1. the applicant must be unemployed after March 1, 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or must demonstrate a minimum 30% drop of annual income and
2. the applicant’s income cannot be higher than the median income for the county they reside in.

PHFA will give assistance on a first-come, first-serve basis, and the deadline to apply is September 30, 2020.

The maximum grant is $750 a month for up to six months for rent due between March 1 and November 30.  They will make payments directly to the landlord.

Applications are now being accepted.  To apply, fill out the three applications located at https://www.phfa.org/pacares/rent.aspx and provide the documentation required.  You must also find your county on the “County Contact List”  to find where to submit your application and who will process it.

The county contact to mail the application and documentation for Lancaster County is:

Lancaster County Redevelopment Authority

28 Penn Square, Suite 200

Lancaster, PA 17603

717.394.0793

rent@lchra.com

http://www.lchra.com

Applying for Mortgage Relief

In order to qualify for mortgage relief:

1. the applicant must be unemployed after March 1, 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or must demonstrate a minimum 30% drop of annual income
2. the applicant’s income cannot be higher than the median income for the county they reside in
3. the applicant must live in their home, and
4. the mortgage must be at least thirty days past due.

The PHFA will give assistance on a first-come, first-serve basis, and the deadline to apply is September 30, 2020.

An applicant can get up to $1,000 a month for a maximum of six months for first or second lien mortgage payments due between March 2020 and December 30.  Payments will be made directly to the lender and may consist of a one-time payment or an initial payment in addition to assistance for future mortgage payments.  The lender may also apply on behalf of the homeowner.

Applications are now being accepted.  To apply, fill out the application located at https://www.phfa.org/pacares/mortgage.aspx and provide any documentation required in the three applications.

If you need any assistance or have any questions about this program, be sure to contact your attorney.

Nichole Baer is an attorney at Russell, Krafft & Gruber, LLP, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She received her law degree from Stetson University, College of Law and practices in several areas, including Business, Commercial Real Estate, Estate Planning, and Estate Administration.