The American Rescue Plan Act provides up to $9.961 billion for states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, Tribes or Tribal entities, and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to provide relief for our country’s most vulnerable homeowners.
The purpose of the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) is to prevent mortgage delinquencies and defaults, foreclosures, loss of utilities or home energy services, and displacement of homeowners experiencing financial hardship after January 21, 2020. Funds from the HAF may be used for assistance with mortgage payments, homeowner’s insurance, utility payments, and other specified purposes. The law prioritizes funds for homeowners who have experienced the greatest hardships, leveraging local and national income indicators to maximize the impact.
The Homeowner Assistance Fund provides:
- A minimum of $50 million for each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico
- $498 million for Tribes or Tribally designated housing entities and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands
- $30 million for the territories of Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
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RECENT UPDATES
August 2022
- Guidance: Treasury updated HAF Guidance on August 8, 2022 to provide additional guidance on the reimbursement of certain qualified expenses.
July 2022
- On July 21, Treasury published a Program and Service Design resource on tips on improving the Design of Your HAF Program.
- Treasury published update to the following: Homeowner Assistance Fund Reporting FAQs, HAF Quarterly Report User Guide, HAF Guidance on Participant Compliance and Reporting Responsibilities
- The deadline for the HAF Annual Performance Report, as well as the first Quarterly Report for Tribal Governments with allocations under $5 million and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, has been postponed from August 15, 2022 to November 15, 2022.
- Quarterly Reports for States, Territories, and Tribal Governments with allocations over $5 million are due on August 15, 2022. Entities required to provide reporting by August 15 will receive an email from Treasury shortly with additional information on quarterly reporting.
May
- On May 6th, Treasury published a Statement from Secretaries Yellen, Fudge, McDonough, and Vilsack on Continued Efforts to Connect Homeowners to Pandemic Relief
April
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HAF Plans: On April 6, 2022, Treasury published approved HAF Plans for state programs.
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Promising Practices: On April 6, 2022, Treasury published Promising Practices for Helping Homeowners Determine their Best Options and Strategic Outreach.
March
- Reporting: Treasury published Draft HAF Guidance on Quarterly and Annual Reporting Responsibilities for HAF Participants. The draft HAF Guidance is open for public comment through April 14, 2022 and comments can be submitted to Treasury by email at HAF@Treasury.gov. Please include “HAF Quarterly and Annual Guidance Comments” in the subject header of the email.
February
- Guidance: Treasury updated HAF Guidance on February 24, 2022 to provide additional guidance on the use of program income, eligible housing counseling services, administrative expenses, eligible uses of funds, and approaches for household income verification.
December
- UPDATE – Deadline for Notice of Funds Request: The Deadline for a Tribe, Tribally Designated Housing Entity (TDHE), or the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to submit a notice of funds request has been extended to December 15, 2021.
- UPDATE—HAF PLANS: Treasury has published updated guidance and related materials for HAF participants to use in the development of their HAF Plans. The HAF Plan submission portal is now online and available. Consistent with the 14-day timeframe previously announced, HAF participants representing states and territories should submit their completed plans or notify Treasury of the date the participant will submit a completed plan, by August 20. This deadline does not apply to Tribes and Tribally Designated Entities (TDHEs). ALL HAF PLANS MUST BE SUBMITTED THROUGH THE ONLINE PORTAL.