Fresno County officials are calling attention to $1 billion in mortgage help for California homeowners behind on their payments because of hardships inflicted by the pandemic.

While rental assistance programs have been managed by the county, the mortgage relief assistance is offered through the California Mortgage Relief program.

There is no cost to apply and no funds will ever have to be paid back, county officials said.

In addition, Fresno County Auditor-Controller Oscar J. Garcia says the state mortgage relief program will soon offer property tax relief as well.

Who Is Eligible for Mortgage Help?

Homeowners wishing assistance must meet these criteria:

• Household income of all members over 18 must be at or below 150% of the Area Median Income.
• The homeowner must own and occupy the property as the primary residence.
• Homeowner may only own and occupy one property.
• Homeowner must attest that they experienced financial hardship after January 21, 2020.
• For mortgage relief, homeowner must be at least two payments past-due by June 30, 2022. For property tax assistance, homeowner must be at least one payment past due by May 31, 2022.
• For mortgage relief, past-due amount must be $80,000 or less at the time of application.
• Approved applicants will receive a one-time grant. Once a household/property is funded, it is no longer eligible for more assistance from the program.
• The original, unpaid principal balance of the homeowner’s primary mortgage loan, at the time of origination, cannot be greater than the “conforming loan limit.” To find data on conforming loan limits, click here.
• Homeowners cannot have $20,000 in cash or assets on hand, excluding savings in a retirement account. (For example, homeowners needing $30,000 to get caught up on their mortgage will be ineligible if they have $50,000 or more in assets).
• For mortgage relief, the homeowner’s mortgage servicer must participate in the California Mortgage Relief Program. A list of participating mortgage servicers can be found here. 

Application Resources

For information on how to apply, visit the state’s website here. 

You can also find a breakdown of the eligibility and application process here and the official application to apply here.