In the last month, new federal guidance and programs have emerge to provide rent relief to tenants and homeowners at risk of losing their homes. Here’s the latest, as of Friday, January 22, 2021.

• A Federal Eviction Moratorium remains in place until March 31, 2021.  This order from Center for Disease Control prohibits landlords from evicting tenants if they are behind on rent because they have lost income due to COVID-19. 

To be protected under this Moratorium you must complete this form and give it to your landlord. Document for your own records the date you gave this to your landlord and method of delivery (hand delivered, mailed, emailed, etc.).

• Emergency Rent Assistance Funds were allocated by Congress in December.  Ohio will receive about $778 million.  These funds are still coming into the state and local groups have not yet begun distributing them.  GOPC expects these funds will be handled through the state’s Home Relief Grant Program and following the guidelines outlined in the proram.

To apply for rent assistance, you must work through your local community action agency.  A list of Ohio’s CAAs can be found here.  Ohio’s CAAs are responding to overwhelming need. If you can, do not call them and instead monitor their websites and your local news sources to know if your local CAA currently has funds or is waiting to re-open the application process. 

Landlords may apply on behalf of tenants, per CDC guidelines.

• Legal Help. If you are about to be evicted, your local Legal Aid Society may be able to help provide legal representation in court.  Here is a list of all Legal Aid Societies.

• Other Assistance. Your local United Way’s 211 program can connect you to food banks, low-cost medical services, mental services and other supporting organizations.  Here is a list of all United Way 211 programs.

• Forbearance on Federally Backed Mortgages.  If you hold a federally backed mortgage (from FHA, VA, USDA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac) and cannot make mortgage payments, you may request a 180 day forbearance period from your lender.  You will have to pay your missed payments at the end of the 180 days. Instructions on requesting forbearance are here.

• Foreclosure Moratorium on Federally Backed Mortgages.  If you hold a federally backed mortgage you may not be foreclosed upon until March 31, 2021.  Check with your mortgage holder on what type of paperwork or declaration you may need to make to ensure the mortatorium protects you.  Here is one informational 1-pager provided by the federal government but your servicer will be the organization to consult.

• What to do if you Do Not Hold a Federally Backed Mortgage.  The Federal Consumer Protection Bureau, a watchdog agency, recommends you contact your mortgage loan servicer.  You can see who holds your loan through this database.

The information in this blog post does not constitute legal advice.