UPDATE: The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and HUD announced, shortly following FHFA's similar announcement, the third extension of its foreclosure and eviction moratorium [1] through December 31, for homeowners with FHA-insured single family mortgages covered under the Coronavirus Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. According to a statement, "this extension provides an additional four months of housing security to homeowners, as they will not fear losing their homes as they work to recover financially from the adverse impacts of the pandemic. With this third extension, FHA has now provided more than nine months of foreclosure and eviction relief to FHA-insured homeowners."
HUD Secretary Ben Carson added, “President Trump is taking unprecedented measures to ensure American homeowners have the resources and support they need to get back to financial stability during the economic recovery. Because homeownership is the largest wealth builder for the majority of the nation’s families, providing relief from foreclosure and eviction to those who are in jeopardy of losing their hard-earned wealth, through no fault of their own, is a priority.”
FHA’s Single Family foreclosure and eviction moratorium has been in place since March 18, and continues to apply to homeowners with FHA-insured Title II Single Family forward and Home Equity Conversion (reverse) mortgages.
“For so many first-time homebuyers and others who relied on FHA insurance to achieve homeownership, this extension provides an additional measure of peace-of-mind and security, along with the fact that we do not require a lump sum payment at the end of any forbearance period,” said Assistant Secretary for Housing and Federal Housing Commissioner Dana Wade. “Right now, it’s important that those affected by COVID-19 focus on the immediate priorities of regaining their financial footing, without the additional stress of dealing with a foreclosure action.”
HUD further outlines the precise nature of the extension on its website [2].
Initial report:
In order to "support households impacted by COVID-19," Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac today announced an extension of the temporary moratoria on foreclosures and evictions until December 31. The moratoria, previously set to expire August 31, is effective immediately and applies to properties with single-family mortgages backed by the GSEs. The suspension of evictions applies only to homes owned by Fannie or Freddie and does not apply to tenants in homes that have not been foreclosed.
"Fannie Mae, along with our lending and servicing partners, remains committed to supporting households who are experiencing job loss, a reduction in work hours or income, or other issues due to COVID-19," said Malloy Evans, Senior Vice President and Single-Family Chief Credit Officer, Fannie Mae. "With this latest extension of the foreclosure and eviction moratorium, we can continue to help ensure distressed borrowers are able to remain in their homes during this national emergency. For homeowners who may be struggling with their mortgage or facing possible foreclosure, assistance options are available and can provide much-needed relief. We encourage you to reach out to your servicer as soon as possible to get help."
FHFA Director Mark Calabria [3] added, “To help keep borrowers in their homes during the pandemic, FHFA is extending the Enterprises' foreclosure and eviction moratoriums through the end of 2020. This protects more than 28 million homeowners with an enterprise-backed mortgage."
Guidelines for single-family mortgages:
- Homeowners who are adversely impacted by the COVID-19 national emergency may request mortgage assistance by contacting their mortgage servicer
- Foreclosure-related activities (except as to vacant or abandoned properties) and evictions of occupants from real estate owned by Fannie Mae are suspended until December 31, 2020
- Homeowners impacted by COVID-19 are eligible for a forbearance plan to reduce or suspend their mortgage payments for up to 12 months
- Servicers must report the status of the mortgage loan to the credit bureaus in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, including as amended by the CARES Act, for homeowners impacted by COVID-19
- Homeowners in a forbearance plan will not incur late fees
- After forbearance, a servicer must work with the borrower on a permanent plan to help maintain or reduce monthly payment amounts as necessary, including a loan modification
Homeowners can find out if they have an enterprise-owned mortgage by visiting KnowYourOptions.com/loanlookup [4].
Fannie Mae said in a statement that it "has taken a number of actions to help homeowners and renters facing financial hardship due to COVID-19. In addition to suspending foreclosures and evictions [5] affecting homeowners, Fannie Mae extended eviction protections to multifamily renters [6] when the property owner received a forbearance, reminded homeowners they are never required to repay missed payments after a forbearance period all at once [7], shared tips to help homeowners avoid foreclosure fraud or scams [8], and announced a new COVID-19 payment deferral option [9] to help homeowners who are ready to resume their monthly mortgage payments following a COVID-19 forbearance. These and other resources we make available are part of our ongoing Here to Help education effort, aimed at helping homeowners and renters impacted by COVID-19 understand the options available to them."
This is a breaking news story that might be updated as new information is available.