Mortgage Relief For Eligible CA Homeowners

By Phil Ting

Many families continue to suffer the effects of COVID-19, and some even face losing their homes. According to state estimates, about 6% of California homeowners have fallen behind on their mortgage payments. A wave of foreclosures could lead to an increase in homelessness and create even more competition in our rental market, leading to further increases to our cost of living. 

Up until recently, there has only been rent relief for California tenants. Now, help is here for homeowners too, thanks to the federal American Rescue Plan. We just launched our new $1 billion California Mortgage Relief program, and it could benefit as many as 40,000 Californians who are financially struggling as a result of pandemic-related hardships. Almost half of that funding is reserved for those in historically disadvantaged neighborhoods. 

Qualified households could receive up to $80,000 in one-time payments made directly to their mortgage company. More importantly, these grants do not need to be paid back.

The program is open to California homeowners who:

• Earn less than their county’s Area Median Income (AMI);
• Own a single-family home, condominium or permanently affixed manufactured home, and;
• Suffered income loss due to the pandemic after Jan. 21, 2020.

While AMI varies by county and household size, in San Francisco, the AMI for a family of four is $182,700.

Homeowners must also meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Receiving government assistance; 
• Spending more than 40% of their income toward mortgage payments, or;
• Been denied an alternative arrangement with their mortgage servicer.

This mortgage relief program builds upon the Legislature’s efforts to stave off tenant evictions. We have helped nearly 150,000 households with back rent, with each receiving an average of roughly $12,000. We must offer similar support to homeowners. 

For more information on eligibility and the application process, please visit CaMortgageRelief.org. If you’re interested, I encourage you to act fast because funds are available on a first come, first served basis and will run out quickly. Be sure to have paperwork ready – such as bank statements, utility bill and income documentation – to expedite the process. 

Phil Ting represents the 19th Assembly District, which includes the Westside of San Francisco along with the communities of Broadmoor, Colma and Daly City.