New Hampshire homeowners who have defaulted on mortgage payments or property taxes due to the COVID-19 pandemic could see thousands of dollars in aid, thanks to a federally funded program that recently started accepting applications.
The N.H. Homeowner Assistance Fund Program began accepting applications on Feb. 14 from homeowners around the state who have faced a financial blow due to the pandemic. The program aims to help cover the costs of missed mortgage payments and property taxes with up to $20,000, and to cover the cost of missed utility payments with up to $3,000 of relief, according to N.H. Housing, which is overseeing the program. Each eligible household can receive up to $20,000 in total assistance.
Though the application process opened last month, the program itself hasn’t officially launched, N.H. Housing spokeswoman Grace Lessner in an email Monday.
“We are waiting for final contract approval from the Executive Council before fully launching the program,” she said, adding that opening the application process early means officials will be able to help homeowners quickly once the program does launch. “Opening the portal also enables the [N.H. Homeowner Assistance Fund Program] to test the application systems and gather further data on the need for assistance.”
Lessner did not say when the program is expected to go in front of the council or how many applications have come in already, but she did say N.H. Housing plans to share program data on its website regularly, following approval.
“No applications will be approved and no payments will be made unless the final contract is approved,” she wrote in an email.
