Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch announced Indiana state’s mortgage assistance program, is available through IHAF (The Indiana Homeowner Assistance Fund) for homeowners who are behind on their mortgage payments because of the COVID-19 pandemic
As part of the American Rescue Plan Act, the U.S. Department of Treasury awarded Indiana over a million dollars, to be allocated for assistance with mortgage payments, property taxes, homeowners’ insurance, and homeowner/condominium fees of eligible Hoosiers.
The maximum per household IHAF assistance amount is $35,000 and limited to one time per household. This assistance is paid directly to the mortgage lender and not considered taxable income.
Eligibility, as determined by the U.S. Treasury, at the time of application you must:
- Be a homeowner; defined as the owner-occupant of a single-family home, condominium, 2-, 3-, or 4-family dwelling or manufactured homes permanently affixed to real property. The home must be in Indiana and be the homeowner’s primary residence
- Have an income equal to or less than 150% of Area Median Income, adjusted for household size or 100% of the National Median Income, whichever is greater
- Have experienced a financial hardship after January 21, 2020, associated with the COVID-19 pandemic
- To apply electronically go to 877gethope.org. OR apply by calling 877-GET-HOPE.
The following documents may be required in the application:
- Income documents:
- Acceptable income documents may include paystubs or other wage statements, depository institution (or bank) statements demonstrating regular income, or a statement of income from an employer
- IRS Form 1099s and tax filings (for self-employed applicants only)
- Social security, child support, unemployment, and other income statements as applicable
- Mortgage statements or other mortgage documents
- Property tax statements from your city, town, or county
- Homeowner’s Insurance statements
- Homeowner or Condo Association fee statements
In addition to the IHAF program, IHCDA (Indiana housing and Community Development) has additional resources for Hoosiers in need of assistance:
- Rental Assistance – The Indiana Emergency Rental Assistance Program provides up to 18 months of rental and utility assistance to those who self-attest to having been impacted by COVID-19.
- Utility Assistance – The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Low-Income Home Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) helps Hoosier homeowners and renters pay their heat, electric and water bills: eap.ihcda.in.gov