The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is reaching out to help people in California who have been hit by recent wildfires and strong winds. Starting January 7, 2025, the government is offering support to rebuild and recover.
President Biden has declared a major disaster in California. This decision means that federal money is now available to help individuals in Los Angeles County who have been affected by the disaster.
Here's how HUD is helping:
- Stopping Foreclosures for 90 Days: If you have a mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) or a Section 184 Indian Home Loan, HUD has put a temporary hold on banks taking back homes due to missed payments. This applies to certain types of loans and will last for 90 days starting from the date the disaster was declared.
- Mortgage Help: HUD's Section 203h program is making it easier to get mortgage insurance. This is for people whose homes need to be rebuilt or replaced entirely. You can get financial help for 100% of the cost, even closing costs.
- Loans for Home Repair: If you need to repair your home or buy a ruined one and fix it up, HUD's Section 203k loan program can help. It offers a single loan to cover both the purchase and the repair costs.
- Flexible Grants for Community Planning and Development: People who have received grants for various community projects may be allowed to use this money in different ways to help with disaster recovery.
- Support for Public Housing and Vouchers: Public Housing Agencies can ask for some rules to be waived to provide better help during disaster recovery.
- Advising Housing Counselors: HUD-approved housing counselors are ready to help disaster victims figure out what assistance they need and what resources are available.
- Fighting Housing Discrimination: If you face discrimination while looking for housing after the disaster, HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity can help.
For more detailed information, affected homeowners should contact their loan servicer, call the FHA Resource Center at 1-800-304-9320, or visit HUD's website. For housing discrimination issues, you can call HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or find more details on their website.
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