Taxpayer Resources
Programs & Resources
Your place for homeownership retention assistance
The National Tax Lien Association believes in home ownership in America. This resource center is built to help struggling homeowners with the ability to retain ownership through national and local assistance programs.
Non-Profit Programs
The Homeownership Preservation Foundation (HPF) is a nonprofit group that helps financially challenged homeowners navigate their budget problems and, whenever possible, help them to avoid mortgage foreclosure. The Homeowner’s HOPE™ Hotline provides advising services to distressed homeowners for free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, in over 170 languages. www.995hope.org
First Home Alliance of Northern Virginia is a HUD-approved 501(c)3 not-for-profit, housing counseling agency that promotes financial literacy and economic self-sufficiency. Our mission is to increase home ownership among low-to-moderate income communities and to sustain ownership for present homeowners through loss-mitigation counseling and foreclosure intervention. http://firsthomealliance.org
Habitat for Humanity’s vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Our mission is to put God’s love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope. www.Habitat.org
At PHA, our mission is to create housing and community development opportunities for very low to moderate income families and individuals, teach financial literacy and management, home buying and home ownership skills, and advocate for affordable housing policies and programs. PHA counsels first time homebuyers, homeowners in financial distress, and renters; and conducts a broad range of educational programs related to financial literacy, predatory lending, fair housing, and other issues important to the financial health of area households. PHA lends money to help homebuyers and homeowners in need and assist local enterprises engaged in affordable and community-oriented developments. www.piedmonthousingalliance.org
NeighborWorks America is one of the country’s preeminent leaders in affordable housing and community development. We work to create opportunities for lower-income people to live in affordable homes in safe, sustainable neighborhoods that are healthy places for families to grow. NeighborWorks America works with several affiliated capital corporations to build partnerships, develop loan products and support financing vehicles that further expand affordable housing opportunities nationwide. www.naca.com
The National Community Reinvestment Coalition seeks to increase fair & equal access to credit, capital, and banking services/products for low- and moderate-income communities. NCRC has grown to an association of more than 600 community-based organizations that promote access to basic banking services including credit and savings, to create and sustain affordable housing, job development and vibrant communities for America's working families. NCRC offers free foreclosure prevention and first time homebuyer counseling services. www.ncrc.org
The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America ("NACA") is a non-profit, community advocacy and homeownership organization. NACA’s primary goal is to build strong, healthy neighborhoods in urban and rural areas nationwide through affordable homeownership. NACA has made the dream of homeownership a reality for thousands of working people by counseling them honestly and effectively, enabling even those with poor credit to purchase a home or refinance a predatory loan with far better terms than those provided even in the prime market. www.naca.com
Fannie Mae is committed to helping homeowners remain in their homes. We work with mortgage companies (i.e., mortgage lenders and servicers) and housing counselors to help homeowners who may be experiencing hardships. www.knowyouroptions.com
Our Primary Focus is to Provide Affordable Housing Counseling, Education, Assistance and Advocacy. We provide loan modifications, short sale assistance, community re-investment, housing counseling, and fair housing. www.aafshousinghelp.org
National Foundation for Debt Management is committed to fostering community education on money management, budgeting and appropriate use of credit. Since 1999, NFDM certified financial counselors have assisted thousands of families. We are dedicated to providing professional and confidential services to assist families and individuals who are in financial distress. www.nfdm.org
Since 1991 Consumer Credit Management Services (CCMS) has helped thousands of families and individuals restructure their personal debt and helped them honor their financial obligations. CCMS works with creditors to reduce your payments; stop late charges; reduce or eliminate interest; and help bring your accounts current. CCMS provides debt and credit counseling, budget planning, debt restructuring, financial education and community awareness through seminars, the media and the distribution of educational materials. CCMS provides assistance to other community organizations, Chambers of Commerce, Employee Assistance programs as well as Corporations throughout America. www.debt-mgt.org
HELP CDC (HELP Community Development Corporation) is a Home Buyers Program that provides individuals and families with the resources and knowledge to become homeowners. We help everyone live prosperously! Our vision is to be a revitalized community where people prosper and contribute to community success. Our mission is to achieve community wholeness and help families live prosperously through education, economic development and home ownership. www.helpcdc.org
We are a nonprofit credit counseling organization committed to educating consumers on financial issues and providing personal assistance to consumers who have become overextended with debt. Our certified credit counselors provide personal assistance through free budget counseling, housing counseling debt management plans to lower credit card interest rates and monthly payments. www.dmcccorp.org
National Financial Literacy Foundation, Inc. (NFLF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the personal financial knowledge and financial quality of life of consumers. NFLF offers bankruptcy courses, housing counseling, and education programs. http://learnfinances.org
ClearPoint is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote consumer health through financial education. Our credit counselors help consumers identify and resolve their financial concerns through budgeting, an understanding of credit, learning how to set financial goals, prioritizing debt repayments and making the most effective financial choices. We offer workshops and have strategic partnerships with area banks, credit unions and businesses to help assure that consumers’ personal finance education needs are met. www.clearpointcreditcounselingsolutions.org
InCharge® Debt Solutions (IDS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering confidential and professional credit counseling, debt management services, bankruptcy education, housing counseling and educational initiatives promoting financial literacy. www.incharge.org
Established October 2005, Housing Foundation of America, Inc. provides services for first-time homebuyers, distressed homeowners, and any other needs as it pertains to workforce housing. Housing Foundation of America, Inc. and its affiliates strive every day to provide quality assistance to those in need. HFA offers homebuyer counseling, neighborhood stabilization program counseling, foreclosure prevention counseling, and reverse mortgage counseling. www.mortgagegrants.com
Consolidated Credit Counseling Services, Inc. is proud to say that for almost 20 years we've helped over 5 million people find the financial freedom they need. Whether you’re looking for relief from credit card debt, you need housing counseling, or you simply want advice on how to budget better or manage your money more successfully, we’re here to help! Whatever your financial need, we have the resources, recommendations, and solutions you need to help you reach your financial goals. www.consolidatedcredit.org
SurePath Financial Solutions® (Consumer Credit Counseling Service) has been your local, nonprofit financial counseling agency for over 44 years. We have 3 locations in California for face-to-face credit counseling, and we also provide nationwide counseling by telephone or internet. SurePath provides caring, innovative solutions that educate and empower consumers to successfully handle immediate financial challenges and plan for their future. www.surepathfs.com
Novadebt, A Garden State Consumer Credit Counseling organization, is a nonprofit, financial management, social service agency. It is our mission to assist families and individuals in need by providing free financial education, community outreach and housing and credit counseling services; all with compassion and the utmost commitment to quality and integrity. www.novadebt.org
MMI is the largest nonprofit, full-service credit counseling agency in the United States. Since 1958, we have been helping consumers find the tools and solutions they need to achieve financial freedom. We provide professional financial guidance, credit counseling, community-wide educational programs, debt management assistance, bankruptcy counseling and education services, and housing counseling assistance to consumers via phone, Internet and in-person sessions. www.moneymanagement.org
HomeOwnership.org presents the free services of Springboard's housing counselors. Springboard is a nonprofit, HUD approved housing counseling agency formed in 1974 by business leaders and credit grantors. HomeOwnership.org's mission is simple, yet vital: to improve the lives and financial well-being of homeowners and families by providing quality financial education and counseling. www.homeownership.org
The National Investment Division-Housing Counseling Agency (NID-HCA) is a HUD approved non-profit organization with 25 years of experience in housing counseling and community building. NID-HCA offers counseling to consumers, as well as non-profits, public agencies and faith-based organizations in each of the following areas: Prepurchase, Budget/Credit, Pre-rental, Homeowner, Default/Foreclosure, Home Equity Conversion/Reverse Mortgages, Community Development Programs, Housing Rehabilitation, Refinance, Financial Literacy, Discrimination, Predatory Lending and Fair Housing. www.nidhousing.com
The Operation HOPE Home Buyers Program is designed specifically for low-wealth individuals who ordinarily would find it difficult—if not impossible—to own a home. We help our clients get the funding they need for homeownership without resorting to sub-prime loans. Our HUD-Approved housing counseling program helps clients overcome a variety of barriers to homeownership, including bad credit, lack of down payment, existing debt, and money management issues. www.operationhope.org
HomeStrong USA is improving the quality of life in communities by focusing on neighborhood revitalization. HomeStrong USA is acquiring and facilitating the acquisition of vacant REO, rehabilitating to higher than usual standards, and making them only available to owner-occupied low and moderate-income buyers. The organization also offers home buyer education and free foreclosure prevention counseling. www.homestrongusa.org
Government Programs
The Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) can help lower monthly mortgage payments for individuals or families who have a financial hardship (not unemployment) and are either delinquent or in danger of becoming delinquent on mortgage payments. The mortgage lien holder must be a participating servicer in HAMP in order for the mortgagor to qualify. www.makinghomeaffordable.gov
The Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program is for homeowners who can no longer afford their mortgage payments and who need to transition to more affordable housing. Homeowners can either opt for a short sale or a Deed-in-Lieu of foreclosure, both of which will have a less negative effect on their credit scores than a traditional short sale or foreclosure. Sometimes the HAFA can provide relocation assistance. www.makinghomeaffordable.gov
Refinancing may be available for homeowners whose mortgage exceeds the current worth of the home, but who have not missed mortgage payments. Mortgages cannot be owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Federal Housing Administration, Veterans Affairs, or the US Department of Agriculture. If the current lender agrees the refinancing, they will be required to reduce your mortgage amount to no more than 97.75% of the the home’s current value. www.makinghomeaffordable.gov
This program is for homeowners who have two mortgages, whose lenders agreed to an FHA Short Refinance on the first mortgage. The mortgage must have been obtained on or before January 1, 2009. If the servicer of the second mortgage agrees to the refinancing, the total amount of the homeowner’s mortgage debt cannot exceed 115% of the home’s current value. www.makinghomeaffordable.gov
The Home Affordable Refinance Program is for mortgages owned or guaranteed by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae, and that were obtained on or before May 31, 2009. This program is meant to assist homeowners who can’t find other refinancing options because the decline of the home’s value. Refinancing is available if the loan-to-value ratio is greater than 80% and the homeowner is current on mortgage payment, with a good payment history for the past twelve months. www.makinghomeaffordable.gov
If homeowners are unemployed and is eligible for unemployment benefits, they can be eligible for the Home Affordable Unemployment Program, which can reduce mortgage payments to 31% of the homeowners’ income or can possibly suspend payments for twelve months or more. Homeowners cannot have previously received a benefit from the Home Affordable Modification Program, and the mortgage must have been obtained on or before January 1, 2009. www.makinghomeaffordable.gov
The FEMA Housing Portal helps individuals and families who have been displaced by a disaster find a place to live. It consolidates all rental resources so that an individual or family can easily find the rental unit availability in their area. www.fema.gov/interim-housing-resources
Home and property disaster loans are available from the U.S. Small Business Administration for homeowners and renters who have sustained physical damage in a disaster-declared county which is not fully covered by insurance. Homeowners may apply for up to a $200,000 low-interest, long-term loan to repair or replace their primary residence to its pre-disaster condition. In some cases, the SBA may be able to refinance all or part of a previous mortgage, not exceeding $200,000. www.fema.gov
The Individuals and Households Program provides assistance to individuals and households who are affected by a president-declared disaster, which cannot be met by other disaster assistance or insurance. Housing assistance includes temporary housing, repair, replacement, and semi-permanent or permanent housing construction. www.benefits.gov/benefit/813
Through Section 203(h) Mortgage Insurance for Disaster Victims, the Federal Housing Administration can insure mortgages made by qualified lenders to disaster survivors who have lost their homes in a president-declared disaster area, so that they can become homeowners or reestablish themselves as homeowners. http://portal.hud.gov
Section 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance enables homebuyers and homeowners to finance an additional $35,000 into their mortgage to improve or upgrade their home before moving in. http://portal.hud.gov
The Public Housing Program provides decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, senior citizens, and disabled individuals. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development gives federal aid to local public housing agencies, who then manage housing units at rents that participants can afford. http://portal.hud.gov
The Housing Choice Voucher Program administers vouchers to local public housing agencies, who then administer the vouchers to eligible low-income families, senior citizens, or disabled individuals. Participants may choose any housing that meets program requirements, not just public housing. The housing subsidy is paid directly to the landlord, and the participant pays the difference in rent. http://portal.hud.gov
USDA Single Family Housing Programs provides loans, grants, and loan guarantees to low- and moderate-income individuals and families who live in rural areas, which may be used to buy, build, or improve a family’s permanent residence. www.benefits.gov/benefit/401
The Very Low-Income Housing Repair program provides loans and grants (to 62 and older) for low-income homeowners to repair and improve their homes. Homeowners must be unable to obtain affordable credit elsewhere. Loans are up to $20,000 for 20 years at 1% interest. Grants are up to $7,500. www.benefits.gov/benefit/402
Rural Rental Housing is available for very low-, low-, and moderate-income families, senior citizens, and disabled individuals. Applicants can apply directly to building managements that participate in the Rural Rental Housing program in order to determine eligibility. www.benefits.gov/benefit/396
The Federal Housing Administration insures loans so that lenders can offer a lower down payment, lower closing costs, and easier credit qualifications. Down payments can be as low as 3.5%. http://portal.hud.gov
The Department of Veterans Affairs insures home purchases or taking cash out of home equity with no down payment, lower closing costs, and no penalty for paying the loan off early. Participants must be veterans of qualifying wartime, actively serving, discharged due to hardship or a service-connected disability, or the unremarried spouse of a veteran whose died in service or from a service-connected disability, among other requirements. www.benefits.va.gov
The Good Neighbor Next Door Program offers homes for sale in revitalization areas at 50% of the listing price for law enforcement officers, pre-kindergarten through 12th grade teachers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians, so long as they commit to living in home as their sole residence for at least 36 months. http://portal.hud.gov
The Making Home Affordable’s Principal Reduction Alternative is available to individuals and families whose mortgage payment is more than the value of the home, whose mortgage was taken out prior to 2009, and who is suffering financial hardship that has made payments delinquent or in danger of becoming delinquent. The Principal Reduction Alternative encourages participating mortgage servicers and investors to reduce a mortgagor’s principal amount (not available for mortgage’s owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac). www.makinghomeaffordable.gov
The Second Lien Modification Program is for individuals who and families who have two mortgages and whose first mortgage was modified by the Home Affordable Modification program. There can be no more than three consecutively missed monthly payments on the HAMP modified mortgage, and the mortgage servicer must be a participant in the Program. www.makinghomeaffordable.gov
A mortgage that is insured or guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration can be modified to 31% of a homeowner’s verified monthly gross income, if the homeowner is struggling to make payments. www.makinghomeaffordable.gov
A mortgage that is guaranteed by the United State Department of Agriculture’s Section 502 Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program can be modified to 31% of a homeowner’s verified monthly gross income, if the homeowner is struggling to make payments. www.makinghomeaffordable.gov
A mortgage that is insured or guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs can be modified to 31% of the homeowner’s verified monthly gross income, if the homeowner is struggling to make payments. www.va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/trouble-making-payments
Housing counseling agencies, found throughout the country, offer advice about buying a home, renting, defaulting, foreclosure avoidance, credit issues, or reverse mortgages. Foreclosure prevention counseling and homeless counseling are free of charge, and low cost charges are applied to other counseling, so long as they are explicitly stated and provided that they are provided free of charge to individuals who demonstrate they cannot afford the fees. http://portal.hud.gov
The Home Equity Conversion Mortgage is the Federal Housing Administration’s reverse mortgage program, which allows homeowners to withdraw some of the home’s equity as cash. The loan does not need to be paid until the home is no longer the principal residence or if the homeowner fails to meet the obligations of the mortgage. http://portal.hud.gov
The Homeowner’s Assistance Program is available to military service members or federal civilian employees who are affected by a base closing or realignment announcement. The program can reimburse homeowners for part of the loss of selling the home, assist homeowners if the funds from the sale can’t pay off the mortgage, purchase the home by paying off the mortgage, or assist if the homeowner defaults on the mortgage. http://hap.usace.army.mil
DISCLAIMER: Reference in this site to any specific commercial product, process, or service, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the National Tax Lien Association.
The mission of the NTLA Foundation is to support owner-occupied homeowners with hardships.