Consumer Contact:
Counseling Agencies or 1-888-623-8631
Press Contact Only:
Margaret Matrone, NCHFA, 919-877-5606,
Connie Helmlinger, NCHFA, 919-877-5607,
Beginning today, financial help is available for North Carolina homeowners who are struggling to pay their mortgages because they’ve lost their jobs or experienced other temporary hardships.
The NC Housing Finance Agency announced today that its new NC Foreclosure Prevention Fund is now available statewide through participating HUD-approved counseling agencies. The new program is financed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s “Hardest Hit Fund.”
“We expect the NC Foreclosure Prevention Fund will enable 21,000 North Carolina unemployed workers to keep their homes,” said A. Robert Kucab, executive director of the NC Housing Finance Agency. “By reducing the number of foreclosure sales, the effort will also help stabilize property values in communities across the state.”
Kucab said the Fund will make mortgage payments for qualified unemployed workers while they seek jobs or complete job training in a new field. Others, who through no fault of their own, have gotten behind on their mortgage payments because of divorce, illness or other temporary hardship, may qualify for help while they seek jobs to get back on their feet. The program is expected to be available over the next three to five years.
The assistance will be provided as a zero-interest, deferred loan of up to $24,000 or 24 months of mortgage-related payments. In high unemployment counties, the maximum assistance is $36,000 or 36 months. Homeowners will resume making their own mortgage payments at the end of the loan period. If the owner continues to live in the home for 10 years, the loan will be considered satisfied and no repayment will be due.
To be eligible, homeowners must have a good mortgage payment history prior to the job loss or hardship, have potential to resume their mortgage payments once the assistance ends, and meet other program guidelines.
For more information about their eligibility, homeowners should call a participating counseling agency or the information line, 1-888-623-8631.
The Treasury’s “Hardest Hit Fund” is authorized under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. It is available in 18 states and the District of Columbia, which have experienced high unemployment or a steep decline in property values. North Carolina was selected because of the large percentage of the population living in counties with high unemployment rates in 2009.
Alliance Credit Counseling, Kevin Porter, lead counselor for MPP, (704) 943-0321
Serves Mecklenburg County
AMEZ Housing Community Development Corporation, Linda Smith, executive director, (910) 815-3826, ext.103
Serves Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover and Pender counties
Choanoke Area Development Association, Sallie Surface and Brenda Greene, project administrators, (252) 539-4155
Serves Bertie, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Northampton, Tyrell and Washington counties
Cleveland County Community Development Center, Karla Haynes, executive director, (704) 480-7701
Serves Cleveland County
Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Forsyth County, Peter Laroche, president & CEO, (336) 837-0650
Serves Alleghany, Ashe, Davie, Forsyth, Iredell, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin counties
Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Gaston County, C.J. Lowman, program manager, (704) 862-0702
Serves Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties
Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Greater Greensboro, Linda McKnight, executive director, (336) 373-8882, ext. 1140
Serves Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Guilford, Randolph, Rockingham and Rowan counties
Consumer Credit Counseling Services of the Carolina Foothills, Nikki Carpenter, executive director, (828) 286-7062
Serves Polk and Rutherford counties
Cumberland Community Action Program/CCCS of Fayetteville, Patricia Tyson, director of community service programs, (910) 323-3192, ext. 33
Serves Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Chatham, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Greene, Harnett, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Martin, Montgomery, Moore,
New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Pitt, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Sampson, Scotland, Wayne and Wilson counties
Franklin-Vance-Warren Opportunities, Inc., Cathia Pope, housing rehab manager, (252) 492-8808
Serves Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance and Warren counties
Kingdom Community Development Corporation, Elsie Gilmore, housing director, (910) 484-2722, ext. 302
Serves Bladen, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Robeson and Sampson counties
Northeastern Community Development Corporation, Ramona D. Gilbert, deputy director/CFO, (252) 338-5466, ext. 32
Serves Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Pasquotank and Perquimans counties
Northwestern Regional Housing Authority, Wilma McDaniel, special projects manager, (828) 264-6683
Serves Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties
On Track Financial Education & Counseling Services, Tom Luzon, director of counseling services, (828) 255-5166, ext. 118
Serves Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga and Yancey counties
Prosperity Unlimited, Louise Mack, president/CEO, (704)-933-7405
Serves Cabarrus, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Rowan and Stanly counties
River City Community Development Corporation, Julieta Smith, director of housing counseling department, (252) 331-2925
Serves Camden, Chowan, Gates, Pasquotank and Perquimans counties
Rocky Mount-Edgecombe Community Development Corporation, Teisha Harrison, project administrator, (252) 442-8553
Serves Edgecombe and Nash counties
Salisbury Community Development Corporation, Lou Adkins, project administrator, (704) 638-2154
Serves Davidson, Iredell and Rowan counties
Telamon Corporation, Donna Ryder, project administrator, (919) 239-8157
Serves Wake County
Triangle Family Services, Julie Sager, director, CCCS & EHA, (919) 821-0790, ext. 314
Serves Chatham, Durham, Johnston, Orange and Wake counties
Twin Rivers Opportunities, Inc., Cynthia Dixon, executive director, (252) 637-3599, ext. 400
Serves Carteret, Craven, Jones and Pamlico counties
United Family Services, Bruce Hamlett, director, economic independence, (704) 367-2770
Serves Cabarrus, Mecklenburg and Union counties
Western Piedmont Council of Governments, Sherry Long, community development director, 828-485-4251
Serves Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Catawba counties
Wilson Community Improvement Association, Deanie Dawson, housing director, (252) 243-4855
Serves Greene and Wilson counties
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The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency is a self-supporting public agency. It has financed 196,000 homes and apartments in the last three decades, including 81,000 homes for first-time home buyers. To learn more, go to www.nchfa.com or call 919-877-5700 or 800-393-0988.
