Florida Homeowners Economic Support Through the Homeowner Assistance Program

Economic Support for Florida Homeowners

The Florida Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) provided direct economic support to homeowners whose finances were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funded with a $676.1 million allocation from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the program was designed to prevent mortgage delinquencies, defaults, foreclosures, loss of utilities or home energy services, and displacement among Florida homeowners.

Program Administration

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) oversaw the program, working through third-party administrators to manage intake, eligibility verification, and payment processing. DEO launched a pilot program in November 2021, followed by an expanded registration portal at FLHomeownerAssistance.org in February 2022, ahead of broader program rollout announced by Secretary Dane Eagle.

Types of Assistance

Eligible homeowners could receive up to $50,000 in combined assistance, which could cover:

• Past-due and current mortgage payments to reinstate loans
• Delinquent property taxes
• Homeowners and flood insurance premiums
• Homeowner and condo association fees
• Utility payments, including electricity, gas, water, and internet services

Funds were typically paid directly to mortgage servicers, insurance companies, utility providers, and other third parties rather than to homeowners.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify, homeowners needed to be Florida residents, use the home as a primary residence, and have experienced a COVID-related financial hardship after January 21, 2020. Household income had to be at or below 150 percent of the area median income or 100 percent of the U.S. median income, whichever was greater. Applicants provided documentation of income, hardship, homeownership, and the expenses they were asking the program to pay.

Impact

The HAF became one of the most significant federal homeowner protection efforts of the pandemic era. Nationally, HAF programs in states, territories, and tribes have helped hundreds of thousands of households avoid foreclosure. In Florida, the program processed tens of thousands of applications and distributed hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance before closing to new applications when the available funding was exhausted.

Program Closure

Due to limited funding and high demand, Florida's HAF eventually stopped accepting new applications. Homeowners currently facing hardship should contact their loan servicer promptly, because most lenders offer their own loss mitigation tools, including forbearance, loan modification, and repayment plans. HUD-approved housing counseling agencies provide free or low-cost advice on options for homeowners facing delinquency or foreclosure.

Other Resources for Florida Homeowners

Florida homeowners with ongoing needs may be able to access other forms of help, including county-level housing assistance funded by SHIP dollars, the My Safe Florida Home grant program for hurricane hardening, and USDA Section 504 loans and grants for rural homeowners. HUD's Find a Foreclosure Avoidance Counselor tool can connect homeowners with a certified counselor in their area who can help them map out a plan.