What should I do if I am having trouble making my FHA-insured mortgage payments?

If you are struggling to make your mortgage payment on your FHA-insured mortgage because of COVID-19, help is available, but you must take action.

Is there mortgage assistance for someone who has a FHA, VA or an USDA mortgage loan?

The CARES Act provides a mortgage payment forbearance option for all borrowers who, either directly or indirectly, suffer a financial hardship due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) national emergency.

No documentation is required to prove your hardship beyond your assertion that you are suffering from such a hardship. An initial forbearance period of up to 180 days may be approved upon a borrower’s request. However, if you can still make your mortgage payments, you should continue to do so.

Protections for renters during COVID-19

There are resources and professionals who can help with your housing or financial situation, including nonprofit credit and housing counselors.

State and local programs are distributing billions of dollars in rental assistance to help renters stay housed during the pandemic. Rental assistance helps renters and landlords make ends meet. The Consumer Federal Protection Bureau (CFPB) has updated information regarding renter’s rights, protections and assistance. If you’re a renter having trouble paying your rent, utilities or other housing costs, help may be available. State and local programs are taking applications from renters and landlords to distribute money from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program in their own communities.

Find help with rent and utilities (in English and En Español)

Additional Resources

Many utilities that sell electricity and gas around the United States are suspending disconnections of customers who do not pay their bills during the Coronavirus crisis, or are being ordered to suspend disconnections by regulators or other government officials. But this varies by state and locality.

Federal fair housing laws protect people from discrimination, including harassment and intimidation, in housing and related services on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status and disability. Laws prohibit discrimination in nearly all housing transactions and residential settings across the nation, including rental housing, nursing homes, permanent shelters and other places where people live and receive services together.

A food bank is a nonprofit that safely stores millions of pounds of food that is delivered to local food programs, like a food pantry. Food pantries can be either permanent locations or mobile distributions. Food pantries are a reliable source for free, healthy and nutritious food in a neighborhood, and they often provide other critical resources such as nutrition education, health screenings, seasonal food baskets and back to school supplies. A community food pantry’s mission is to directly serve local residents who suffer from hunger and food insecurity within a specified area.

Before visiting your food bank or pantry location, contact them by phone and/or email to verify that their information is correct and receive any updates.

With the possibility of some schools remaining closed, parents opting for home schooling or schools possibly closing in the future due to the COVID-19 pandemic, children who rely on free or reduced-price meals at school may be able to continue to get meals that they would have normally received at school. USDA has put together a USDA Meals for Kids Site Finder. Families can use this tool to find directions to nearby sites, as well as hours of operation and contact information. Rules vary by location, but generally meals may be taken home and parents or guardians may pick up meals for their children if the state allows.

USDA also provides a National Hunger Hotline and can be reached Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET at 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) or 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273) [Spanish].