Today, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is issuing this reminder to mortgagees about its guidance for originating and/or servicing FHA-insured forward and reverse mortgages in locations in the U.S. and its territories when the President declares it a major disaster area. This declaration is made when natural or other events are of such severity that it is beyond the combined capabilities of state and local governments to respond. The following guidance applies to all areas covered by a Presidentially-Declared Major Disaster Area (PDMDA):
- FHA-insured mortgages secured by properties in a PDMDA are subject to a 90-day foreclosure moratorium following the disaster.
- FHA-insured reverse mortgages (HECMs) that become due and payable for reasons other than the death of the last surviving borrower and eligible nonborrowing spouse are subject to a 90-day extension of HECM foreclosure timelines.
- In PDMDAs only, HUD provides mortgagees an automatic 90-day extension from the date of the foreclosure moratorium expiration date to commence or recommence foreclosure action or evaluate the borrower under HUD’s loss mitigation program.
Mortgagees should review complete servicing guidance in the Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1 (SF Handbook), Sections III.A.2 and III.A.3.c relating to the servicing of mortgages in PDMDAs.
Mortgagees are reminded that they should begin reaching out to affected borrowers who may require loss mitigation assistance as soon as possible post-disaster. In preparation for assisting homeowners with longer-term recovery efforts, mortgagees should also review:
- FHA’s 203(h) Mortgage Insurance for Disaster Victims requirements in Section II.A.8.b of the SF Handbook. The 203(h) program allows FHA to insure mortgages for victims of a major disaster who have lost their homes and are in the process of rebuilding or buying another home.
- FHA’s 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance Program requirements in Section II.A.8.a of the SF Handbook. The 203(k) program provides mortgage financing or refinancing which includes the cost of home repairs – both structural and non-structural – into the loan amount.
Mortgagees can find more information about the policies referenced above and other FHA PDMDA policies on the FHA Resource Center’s Online Knowledge Base.
Quick Links
- Access the SF Handbook in online or portable document format from HUD’s Client Information Policy SystemsHousing Handbooks web page at: https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/administration/hudclips/handbooks/hsgh
Resources
Contact the FHA Resource Center:
- Visit our online knowledge base to obtain answers to frequently asked questions 24/7 atwww.hud.gov/answers.
- E-mail the FHA Resource Center at answers@hud.gov. Emails and phone messages will be responded to during normal hours of operation, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (Eastern), Monday through Friday on all non-Federal holidays.
- Call 1-800-CALLFHA (1-800-225-5342). Persons with hearing or speech impairments may reach this number by calling the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.