PA Homeowner Assistance Fund (PAHAF)
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) recently announced that the Pennsylvania Homeowner Assistance Fund (PAHAF) is reopening on Monday, March 18, 2024, to homeowners struggling as a result of pandemic-related financial hardships. PAHAF provides financial assistance to eligible homeowners for mortgage and housing-related expenses to address delinquency and avoid default, foreclosure or displacement from their homes.
Since February 2023, there has been a pause on new applications in effect to allow PHFA to focus on a backlog of applicants as a priority. Now that most of the transitioned pending applications have been processed and an assessment of remaining funds has been made, PHFA is able to reopen the program to eligible new applicants until the remaining monies are exhausted.
Pennsylvania was awarded $350 million for the administration of the program and the disbursement of funds as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. As of March 7th, 2024, more than 15,500 Pennsylvania households have received over $205 million, with approximately $92 million remaining. There is approximately $42 million encumbered to complete the processing of the pending applications that were transitioned. PHFA estimates that $48-$50 million in remaining PAHAF funds will be available to eligible new applicants for pandemic-related mortgage reinstatement, forward mortgage assistance, tax assistance and delinquent utility bills.
Funds will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible applicants until the remaining monies are exhausted with priority given to homeowners facing an imminent adverse action (IAA) such as a notice of foreclosure, sheriff sale or utility shut-off notice.
Interested homeowners should visit www.pahaf.org for more information, eligibility requirements, and instructions on how to submit their application. If homeowners have questions, they can contact the dedicated PAHAF Call Center at 888-987-2423, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.