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The Homeowners
Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP)
Avoid Mortgage Foreclosure
Since 1984, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA)
has offered a unique program that helps people who—through
no fault of their own—are facing mortgage foreclosure:
the Homeowners Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP).
HEMAP helps people bring their mortgage payments up-to-date
through a loan from the state, as long as they have a reasonable
prospect of resuming full mortgage payments within two years. |
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The HEMAP Help Center
RHLS designed the HEMAP Help Center because a high number
of HEMAP applications were not successful in obtaining loans.
The Help Center assists applicants by:
- Providing
information about the HEMAP program, application, and other
relevant topics.
- Offering a free and prompt on-line critique
of their application plus constructive comments by an experienced
attorney.
Reviewers at the Help Center also search for indications
that the loan in question might be a “predatory mortgage”—where
a lender misled, tricked or even coerced the applicant into
taking out a home loan at excessive costs and without regard
to the homeowner's ability to repay. If this is the case,
RHLS makes appropriate referrals to private attorneys or
a legal aid office.
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The HEMAP Help Center is Keeping Families in their Homes
Aimee Y. fell behind in payments on her adjustable rate mortgage after her husband lost his job and the family incurred some unanticipated medical expenses. She received an Act 91 foreclosure notice that referred her to HEMAP, which, in turn, led her to the HEMAP Help Center. Aimee said, “Within a matter of hours an RHLS lawyer had read my application and gotten back to me with comments. When I met with the credit counselor I had a clear idea of the best way to present my situation and explain my hardship. Having that feedback from an expert was a huge relief during a time of great emotional stress and uncertainty.” After working with RHLS to prepare her application, Aimee and her family enjoyed “a happy ending to our story” in the form of an approval for the HEMAP loan.
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HEMAP Resources & Links
Other Resources for Homeowners threatened with Foreclosure
- Philadelphia County - “Save Your Home Philly” hotline, 215-334-HOME (4663)
- Allegheny County - "Save Your Home Hotline” (SYHH) at 1-800-298-8020
- Bucks County - "Save Your Home Hotline" 1-866-760-8911
- Lackawanna County - Mortgage Foreclosure Diversionary Program 570-558-2490 OR 570-343-8835
- Northampton County - Mortgage Foreclosure Diversionary Program 800-755-1563 OR 610-691-2876
- The PHFA Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Initiative (Pennsylvania)
- HERO and REAL loan programs (Pennsylvania)
- If you have a very low income, you might be eligible for free legal aid (Pennsylvania)
- Information on the Home Affordability Mortgage Program is available from a government site and through Hope Now, an
alliance between counselors, mortgage companies, investors, and other mortgage market participants (federal)
- National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) has information on foreclosure programs throughout the country (including detailed information on the county programs listed above)
- Foreclosure Prevention Resource Guide from
the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition
(GPUAC) has specialized information for attorneys and homeowners at a variety of stages before and during foreclosure *NEW*
Utility Resources
- The Pennsylvania Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps low income people pay their heating bills through home heating energy assistance grants and crisis grants.
- For assistance with utility issues, including information about other programs that can help with your utility bills visit the PULP portion of our website.
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