Governor Hogan Launches $248M Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund Program

The Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) was established by the American Rescue Plan Act enacted on March 11, 2021, to help homeowners experiencing financial hardship after January 21, 2020. Assistance in the State of Maryland is provided through the Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund program. This is a limited funded program, scheduled to end September 2026 or when funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.

Governor Larry Hogan on Monday announced the launch of the $248 million Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund. This program will help homeowners in need of mortgage relief, home repairs, housing counseling, and legal services. The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will administer it.

Find out if you qualify for these programs here. 

The funding of the Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund means:

• $171 million to provide loans to assist homeowners who have experienced financial hardship with their mortgages;
• $34 million to provide grants to assist with property tax, homeowner association, and other types of delinquencies;
• $10 million for the WholeHome program to help homeowners with necessary repairs and energy efficiency improvements;
• $8 million for housing counseling agencies;
• $3 million for legal services providers to help homeowners navigate the foreclosure process;
• $22 million for program case management, administration, marketing, and outreach to ensure eligible homeowners.

Who Is Eligible for the Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund program?

“Across Maryland, there are homeowners who are struggling to keep up with their mortgage payments due to the financial hardships related to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Governor Hogan. “The programs we are announcing today through the Homeowner Assistance Fund will help keep Marylanders in their homes and support our state’s economic recovery.”

Find out if you qualify for these programs here. 

All applicants, the mortgage, and the property must meet all eligibility requirements. So, the property must be a one-to-four unit, including condominium units, an owner-occupied primary residence. Furthermore, acceptable property types are: detached, single-family, duplex, triplex, fourplex, condominium, coop, and manufactured housing/mobile home. The home must be located in the State of Maryland and it must be the primary residence and also have been purchased, owned, or inherited prior to the hardship. To qualify for a grant the applicant’s household income must be equal to or less than 100% of the Area Median Income (AMI). To qualify for a loan their income must equal to or less than 150% of the AMI. In order to receive assistance, eligible homeowners must have experienced a COVID-19 related financial hardship, as defined in the U.S. Treasury Department guidance, after January 21, 2020. 

Marylanders can determine their eligibility and apply by visiting homeownerassistance.maryland.gov. For assistance in applying or navigating the application portal, call 833-676-0119, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. and also Saturday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.