Promising Practices for HAF programs
Through the HAF plan review process, Treasury has engaged with HAF participants across the country to identify program strategies that promise to more efficiently and effectively deliver program benefits, enhance program integrity, and improve programs access for homeowners—particularly among vulnerable and harder to reach populations. Some promising practices include [1]:
- Expanding HAF Use of Funds
- Helping Homeowners Determine Their Best Options
- Strategic Outreach
- Collaborate with Servicers
- HAF Closeout Promising Practices
- Implementing Enhanced Program Integrity Measures
WHAT’S NEXT:
A housing stability and supply playbook is now available to assist local, state, territorial, and Tribal governments with promising practices for effectively using their awards from programs established by the American Rescue Plan Act to help more households stay in their homes through both housing stability services and/or expanding housing supply.
While the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) addresses the financial distress faced by homeowners financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, HAF can also serve as a catalyst to pilot solutions and investments to support housing stability for homeowners in the future.
HAF and other Treasury programs, like the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) and State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) programs, can provide support for a household at multiple points of the housing continuum and provide assistance and services that relieve pressure on tenants and homeowners by keeping them in their homes. These programs have allowed communities to be innovative in finding housing solutions, explore ways to improve existing housing stability issues and increase the availability of affordable rental housing.
1 Treasury recognizes that programs vary according to local circumstances; these examples are intended to help programs identify opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of their own programs but may not be universally applicable to all HAF participants. The program information provided herein is intended solely to illuminate “promising practices” that grantees might consider when developing their jurisdictions’ program policies and infrastructure. All such policy development must proceed in accordance with the governing legal authorities and published policy guidance. Nothing herein should be construed as (i) altering these requirements or (ii) confirming that any specific grantee’s program policies or administrative practices have been fully reviewed and found compliant.