Homeowner Assistance Fund Centers Expanding in San Antonio
The office of Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector Albert Uresti has six intake centers for the Texas Homeowner Assistance Fund Program, but it is now growing due to its success.
“Now what we’re doing is we’re gonna use Bibliotech locations, which gives us another 3 locations in order to make it easier for people to be able to apply for this program,” said Uresti.
According to Uresti, the funding is administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs as part of the federal American Rescue Plan. Many residents, he told commissioners, do not have access to the application online. Because of this, his administration has written letters to 15,000 delinquent residents.
“This is a particularly important thing for Bexar County because we have a lot of vulture capitalists who are waiting to take people’s property in foreclosure,” Calvert said.
This program helps homeowners who’ve fallen behind on mortgage payments, property taxes, mortgage insurance, HOA fees, and other housing costs during the pandemic. Funds of up to $40,000.00 for mortgage payment assistance and up to $25,000.00 for property taxes, home insurance, and HOA fees are given in the form of grants. These funds are provided by the $10 billion American Rescue Plan.
To qualify, homeowners must:
- Own and occupy a home in Texas as a primary residence
- Experienced a qualified financial hardship after January 21, 2020, such as lost income or increased expenses due to the pandemic
- Have a household income at or below 100% Area Median Income (AMI) or 100% of the median income for the United States, whichever is greater
- And also have fallen behind on one or more of the following payments:
- Mortgage loans
- Property taxes
- Property insurance
- HOA/condo association fees
Homeowners are required to submit the following documents when applying: identification card, mortgage statement, proof of occupancy (such as a utility bill), income documentation (such as pay stubs), and signed program documents. Furthermore, payments are sent directly to the mortgage servicer or property charge payee (tax authority, insurance company, or HOA) once the homeowner’s application is approved. So, for more information and applying, visit the official site.
