Aid For Homeowners Hurt By The Pandemic Now Available In NJ

NEW JERSEY — Are you a woman in New Jersey who had to quit your job to take care of your children once schools went all-virtual?

Or perhaps you lost your job, or saw your hours cut, due to the pandemic-related lockdowns and business restrictions of 2020. You may even be a small-business owner who saw your income greatly reduced in the past two years.

And now, you have a hard time making mortgage payments and are afraid you may lose your home.

On Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced a new program that aims to keep homeowners in their homes and prevent foreclosure.

The program is called the Emergency Rescue Mortgage Assistance Program (ERMA). The program is financed under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the massive COVID relief bill passed by Congress last March.

To qualify for the ERMA program, homeowners must meet the following requirements:

• Be a New Jersey homeowner with a demonstrated COVID-19-related financial hardship occurring after January 20, 2020
• Own and occupy an eligible primary residence
• Have an income below 150% of their Area Median Income (AMI)

If you are unsure if you’re eligible, you should call 855-647-7700 to be put in touch with a housing counselor who can help guide you through the process and understand your options.

This program will provide up to $35,000 in assistance to cover mortgage arrears, delinquent property taxes, and other housing cost delinquencies for eligible homeowners negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

New Jersey’s program will use $325.9 million of federal Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) money and is expected to help thousands of families get back on their feet, stabilizing New Jersey’s most at-risk communities.

After all, foreclosures don’t just hurt the family experiencing them, said New Jersey's Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver in announcing the program. They negatively impact the surrounding properties in their neighborhood and hurt their larger community.

This assistance offers struggling families a lifeline, and can make other loss-mitigation options, such as refinancing, viable.

ERMA will also provide free housing counseling services to help New Jersey homeowners apply for this program and even work with their mortgage provider. These counselors will also ensure that the process is accessible to those without access to internet.

The program is backed by both U.S. Senators from New Jersey, Cory Booker and Robert Menendez, both Democrats.

“The Homeowner Assistance Fund will provide much-needed relief and support to thousands of homeowners across our state, helping them make mortgage payments and pay other expenses that have accrued due to the economic hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic," said Booker on Monday.

“Working families have faced unprecedented burdens over the last two years. If you are struggling to pay your mortgage or other homeowner-associated obligations, the ERMA program can help you get back on your feet,” said Lt. Oliver, who serves as Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs and Chair of the NJHMFA board. “We encourage all eligible homeowners to apply for assistance."

The ERMA application portal will open for applications at: www.njerma.com at 9 a.m. on February 8. Visit www.njhousing.gov/dca/hmfa/covid19/haf to review program eligibility and sign up for program updates.

"As we are arriving at the two-year mark of the most notable worldwide pandemic in modern history, many residents have yet to fully get back on their feet economically," said New Jersey State Senate President Nicholas Scutari, a Democrat. "This program will allow families who are financially struggling the peace of mind that their home will still be their safe haven by eliminating the burden of paying back housing cost delinquencies stemming from the pandemic."

NJHMFA will work to accommodate homeowners with disabilities as well as to assist applicants with limited English proficiency. The application portal is available in many languages. Applicants seeking accommodations should contact NJHMFA at (855) 647-7700 for assistance.

Sign up for Patch emails: https://patch.com/subscribe and don't miss important local news. Contact this Patch reporter: Carly.baldwin@patch.com