The Nebraska Homeowner Assistance Fund (NHAF) helped thousands of state residents catch up on overdue mortgage payments, property taxes, and utilities during the height of the pandemic's economic fallout. As the program approached its closure, the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (NIFA), which administered NHAF, urged eligible homeowners not to wait. Applications submitted before the portal closed could still receive review, and a waitlist remained open for homeowners who needed help after the formal closing date.

What NHAF Provided

NHAF was Nebraska's share of the federal Homeowner Assistance Fund, a $10 billion nationwide program created by the American Rescue Plan Act. The federal law directed funds to each state, with local housing agencies responsible for designing and running programs that fit their residents' needs.

In Nebraska, NHAF delivered up to $40,000 per eligible household. Funds could be applied to:

Past-due mortgage payments
Delinquent property taxes
Homeowners insurance arrears
Homeowner association (HOA) dues
Utilities such as heat, water, and electricity tied to the home
Reverse mortgage delinquencies
Certain legal fees tied to foreclosure prevention

The program focused exclusively on primary residences. Second homes, investment properties, and vacation properties were not eligible.

Who Qualified

To qualify, applicants had to meet three core tests:

Pandemic-related hardship. At least one member of the household had to have experienced a financial hardship that began or continued after January 21, 2020. Qualifying hardships included job loss, reduced hours, increased expenses, and illness.
Income limits. Household income had to be at or below 100 percent of the Area Median Income for the county of residence. Urban counties such as Douglas and Lancaster had higher caps than more rural counties.
Primary residence. The home receiving help had to be the applicant's primary residence.

Applicants did not need to currently be in foreclosure to qualify. The program actively encouraged homeowners to seek help before reaching the foreclosure stage, when options narrow and costs rise.

Why the Portal Was Closing

Federal HAF dollars are finite. Once a state commits its allocation, the program winds down. Nebraska's program hit its allocation targets and formally announced the closing of the application portal on June 30, the last date for new applications. Program leaders then worked through the remaining files and, as funds allowed, closed out awards for qualified households.

By the time the program fully closed, Nebraska had distributed roughly $45 million in HAF funds to more than 3,000 income-qualified, pandemic-impacted homeowners.

What "Apply Now" Really Meant

In the weeks before the portal closure, NIFA and its partners ran a targeted outreach campaign emphasizing urgency. The message had several layers:

If you think you might qualify, apply before the deadline even if you lack some documents
If you miss the deadline, a waitlist will stay open in case funds return from incomplete files
If you have questions, a call center can help in multiple languages

The call center (1-844-565-7146) was open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. Operators walked callers through eligibility screening, helped set up the online application, and scheduled follow-up calls.

What Applicants Needed

The Nebraska application process asked for standard documentation:

Proof of identity, such as a driver's license
Mortgage statement showing account number and arrears amount
Paycheck stubs, tax returns, or benefit statements to establish income
Documentation of the pandemic-related hardship
Property tax statement, homeowners insurance declaration page, or utility bill depending on which costs were part of the request

Files that arrived complete often moved through review in weeks. Files missing key documents could take months.

Working With the Mortgage Servicer

NHAF funds typically flowed directly to the mortgage servicer, tax collector, or utility company. Homeowners did not receive the cash themselves. That structure simplified reporting but required cooperation from servicers. NIFA maintained direct channels with major servicers operating in Nebraska and had established procedures for smaller regional lenders.

Homeowners who were already in a loss mitigation conversation with their servicer were encouraged to mention the NHAF application. Many servicers paused foreclosure timelines when an active HAF application was in review.

What Happened to Unused Funds

Any federal HAF funds a state could not use before the program's expiration date generally returned to the U.S. Treasury. That is why state agencies pushed hard to commit funds to real households rather than let allocations lapse.

For homeowners who applied late, funds that came back from canceled or incomplete applications sometimes reopened the door. That is why NIFA kept a waitlist: canceled files occasionally freed small amounts of money that could be matched to waitlisted applicants.

Alternatives After NHAF

Once NHAF closed, Nebraska homeowners facing payment struggles still had options:

HUD-approved housing counselors provided free guidance on mortgage workouts, refinancing, and foreclosure alternatives
Mortgage servicers' own loss mitigation teams offered forbearance, modification, and repayment plans
Local community action agencies could help with utility and heating bill arrears
Nonprofit legal aid offered foreclosure defense in appropriate cases

While these alternatives lacked the scale of HAF, they were important lifelines after the main pandemic program sunset.

Lessons From Nebraska's Experience

The Nebraska program showed what a well-run state HAF allocation could accomplish. Key elements that worked:

Simple online application with in-person and phone support
Direct payments to servicers and utilities rather than to homeowners
Active outreach through community partners
Waitlist process that kept the door open even after the portal closed

For eligible Nebraskans, the program delivered real financial relief at a moment when the pandemic's economic shock was still reverberating. For other states facing similar program sunsets, Nebraska's model is a template worth studying.

Nebraska Homeowners Urged to Apply Before HAF Portal Closes