July 2014
KeepYourHomeCalifornia | Newsletter

Federal "Help for Homeowners" events
in California
 

There are two "Help for Homeowners" events coming to California this week. The first will will take place on Tuesday July 22nd in Riverside and the second on Thursday July 24th in Sacramento. The events, which are sponsored by the US Department of the Treasury, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Hope Now, will provide free help for struggling homeowners, particularly those who are behind on mortgage payments or may have a financial hardship.  

 

There will be certified Keep Your Home California counselors at each event. These counselors will be available to help homeowners determine which of the four Keep Your Home California programs may be an option for them and submit an application for assistance. Additionally, representatives from government agencies, non-profit housing counseling organizations, multiple servicers, and several other free resources will be onsite to share their expertise - at no cost to attendees. For more information on the events, please see the flyers below.

 




Applying for Keep Your Home California
in person

We get questions from time to time about whether it's possible to apply for assistance in person. The majority of the applications we receive at Keep Your Home California come in through the call center, via our toll-free number: (888) 954-KEEP (5337). The friendly, dedicated staff at the call center can answer questions about the programs and help homeowners submit their applications by collecting information over the phone and putting them into the system. However, we understand some people are more comfortable submitting applications in person.  

 

Thanks to our partnership with various HUD approved housing counseling agencies across the state, homeowners can also apply in person at any one of the offices listed on the website. If you click the Meet With a Counselor link on the Keep Your Home California website, you can sort these agencies by county in order to find offices near you. Just like the call center, these agencies provide their services free of charge.

 

Our partner agencies are able to help homeowners with other types of assistance as well. Counselors from these agencies can help homeowners who do not qualify for Keep Your Home California assess their housing situation to see what other options may be available to them. Or, if a homeowner's situation has changed since they previously applied for Keep Your Home California, our partner agencies can help them re-apply, even if their original application was taken through the call center. Oftentimes, our partner agencies will also have certified counselors available to help with applications at community events.

 

If you or someone you know is interested in applying for Keep Your Home California, but would prefer to do so in person, please contact one of our partner agencies. These agencies are tremendous resources for struggling homeowners. You can find all of our partner housing counseling agencies at the following link: http://keepyourhomecalifornia.org/meet-with-a-counselor/all/ 

Funding
(as of July 21, 2014)

Programs
  
Homeowners Assisted
Total Amount Distributed
Unemployment Mortgage Assistance
31,169
$405,381,748.24
Principal Reduction Program
4,022
$238,917,750.38
Mortgage Reinstatement Assistance Program
6,552
$87,045,999.66
Transition Assistance Program
665
$2,433,693.02
Total Program
Funds Allocated
42,408
$733,779,191.30

Eligibility Quiz Enhancements

In last month's newsletter, we included a brief write-up about the "Eligibility Quiz," which you can take by clicking the Find out if you qualify link on the homepage. We are excited to share that there has been a new feature added to the quiz, which will allow homeowners to keep their results and get more information about how to apply for the program.

 

Upon completion of the quiz, you will now be able to enter and submit your email address. This action which will automatically generate an email to you that shows the programs you may be eligible for based on your responses, as well as eligibility information for the programs and contact information. Previously, quiz results could not be saved and it was up to the person taking the quiz to keep pertinent information about applying for the programs. The goal of this new feature is to provide a reminder to homeowners about their potential eligibility and make sure they have some basic information on hand to contact Keep Your Home California at their convenience.

Recent Blog Post:

From assisting out-of work homeowners to those struggling with significantly underwater mortgages, Keep Your Home California focuses on helping Californians prevent avoidable foreclosures, oftentimes helping them stay in their homes in the process.

 

But the mortgage-assistance program also helps homeowners who, through no fault of their own, are faced with the hard-to-grasp reality of losing their house. Read More 

Success Story: Edith G. 

When a big bank closed a major service center, it created a huge problem for Edith G.

 

But the five-year employee and single mother turned the challenge into a major opportunity, thanks to Keep Your Home California and the state Employment Development Department.

 

Edith was laid off from the now-closed service center in October. She soon applied for jobless benefits - and Keep Your Home California's... Read More  

Monthly Question & Answer

A: Homeowners who have received program benefits and signed the KYHC Note, Deed of Trust and Benefit Award letter may be eligible to withdraw from the program; however, any existing lien that has been recorded will remain on the property until such time the KYHC Note has been paid in full or the term of the KYHC Note has expired, whichever occurs first.

 

See more frequently asked questions

Dollar Assistance Provided to Date by County  
(as of July 21, 2014)

To see all Servicer Scorecards, please visit the Participating Servicers webpage.



July 22, 2014
10:00am-8:00pm
Help for Homeowners Event
Riverside, CA
July 23, 2014
6:30pm-8:30pm
Home Retention Clinic
Los Angeles, CA
July 24, 2014
10:00am-8:00pm
Help for Homeowners Event
Sacramento, CA
July 26, 2014
9:00am-5:00pm
Homebuyer Education Workshop
Riverside, CA
July 31, 2014
3:00pm-6:00pm
Foreclosure Prevention and Intervention Workshop
Oakland, CA
August 9, 2014
9:00am-5:00pm
Homebuyer Education Workshop
Ontario, CA
August 13, 2014
10:00am-7:00pm
Home Retention Clinic
Los Angeles, CA
August 14, 2014
3:00pm-6:00pm
Foreclosure Prevention and Intervention Workshop
Oakland, CA
August 16, 2014
9:00am-12:00pm
Homeownership Fair
Los Angeles, CA
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www.KeepYourHomeCalifornia.org - 888.954.KEEP (5337)