The NC Homeowner Assistance Fund has helped thousands of North Carolinians since being launched in early 2022. Below are several success stories from homeowners who have been able to hold onto their homes thanks to this assistance.
If you have been helped by this program and would like to share your story, please let us know!
NCHAF Assists Senior on a Fixed Income Facing Tax Debt
For many seniors, the COVID-19 pandemic took a mental and physical toll. A Northampton County homeowner and senior experienced respiratory complications during the pandemic. She fell behind on payments when she became ill and had very limited financial resources. She learned of the North Carolina Housing Assistance Fund (NCHAF) through an advertisement while streaming her favorite news channel. Despite initially struggling to complete her online application while ill, her case manager was able to assist by providing step-by-step instructions over the phone. “My case manager was so helpful, kind, and professional”, she says.
NCHAF Program Helps Nursing Student Avoid Foreclosure
Prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a Guilford County homeowner was a student working in a temporary nursing position. Once the pandemic began, her hours were cut, and she had no choice but to resign. She had not been working long enough with her company to qualify for unemployment and was four months behind on her mortgage payments. “I exhausted all my deferments and payment plans with the bank and was facing foreclosure,” she said.
Left with very few options, she learned of the North Carolina Homeowner Assistance Fund (NCHAF) from a friend of the family who recommended the program. The NCHAF program assisted her with her past due mortgage payments, and she later completed nursing school and began working as a licensed nurse in the fall of 2022.
“My case manager was always helpful and glad to answer any questions. I was able to avoid foreclosure with the help of NCHAF.”
NCHAF Lends a Helping Hand to Applicant on a Fixed Income
After being let go from his company during the pandemic, Tommy C. remained out of work for nearly a year. He was unsure of how he would make ends meet while surviving solely on his income from social security disability benefits. “I did not know how I would catch up with my mortgage payments,” said Tommy. “Once you are behind on one payment, it’s impossible to catch up.”
After Tommy was able to return to work, he remained behind on his bills. Thankfully, his employer told him about the North Carolina Housing Assistance Fund (NCHAF). He decided to apply for assistance with his mortgage payments.
For Tammie T. of Guilford County, NC, battling colon cancer became overwhelming while she faced numerous challenges throughout the pandemic.
Tammie made ends meet by waitressing and earning tips from regular customers. “I have colon cancer and I go once every other week for chemo,” Tammie says. “My cancer has progressed, and I could not work as much waitressing anymore. With ya’ll helping, I can stand up and breathe again.”
The program helped Tammie cover her past due mortgage payments so that she could get back on track while attending chemotherapy treatments. “This program is a blessing,” she says. “The program staff contacted my mortgage company and got them off my back.”
For Jessica G. in Mecklenburg County, NC, the COVID-19 pandemic put a devastating strain on household finances. After working at her hospital for six years, Jessica faced a tremendous loss in work hours as a patient services representative. “It sounds crazy to not have work hours in a hospital during the pandemic,” she says, “but I worked 120 hours a week prior to the pandemic and those hours were then cut.”
Jessica learned of NCHAF through her electric company, Duke Energy. The program helped Jessica stay afloat by assisting her with past due mortgage payments that accumulated while she picked up work hours again as an elderly companion. “I got the assistance I needed during a difficult time in my life. My case manager was responsive with getting me the answers I needed. I am so grateful.”
For many North Carolinians, like Karen M. of Hoke County, the pandemic felt like a bad rollercoaster ride. Karen is a surgical tech by trade and knows firsthand how lucky she is to have survived the COVID-19 pandemic. “I had to video chat with families to share the news that their family members would not make it,” she says. Karen’s work hours decreased to 20 hours weekly and she had to exhaust her savings account. “My credit cards were maxed out and my credit score dropped,” she says.
The NCHAF program assisted Karen by paying her past due mortgage payments. “The physical and mental toll that the pandemic has taken on those of us in the medical field has been difficult,” says Karen. “When I found out I was awarded with mortgage assistance, I dropped the phone and said ‘Hallelujah!’”
The last thing I remember was losing my taste and smell. I walked into the hospital, but then I woke up two months later in a nursing home. I had been in a coma, and became paralyzed on my left side. I had to stay in the nursing home to further my recovery for another month or so.
While I was sick with Covid we lost so much. The only things I didn’t lose were my faith in God, my husband, and my home. I came home and they shut our power off. They repossessed our car. I couldn’t get in or out of the house because we couldn’t get a ramp built. I prayed to God that I wouldn’t lose my home. I didn’t know where my husband and I would go if we did. We had a very good interest rate and had built up some equity, but we had gotten so far behind.
I am truly blessed and God sent the right people into my life to help me. God came through. Churches came and built ramps for us. Strangers prepared us meals and helped us around the house. My husband couldn’t work because he had to become my full-time caretaker.
I was watching television when I saw information on the NCHAF program. I called the number and I submitted my application. It took a while to get sorted, but I am so grateful that my mortgage has been paid up. It is such a relief, and such a weight off!
I want people to know that there are programs out there that can help. Life can change in an instant. We had A-1 credit and never missed a payment, to being faced with losing our home and we can’t even get a loan for a car. Every time there was a knock at the door I was terrified that it was the Sheriff to take us out of the house. And now our house is saved! God is good and God provides!
NCHAF Assists Single Mom with Tax Payment Assistance
Like many single parents, Brunswick homeowner Keishonna juggled two jobs to support her family throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. While maintaining the household with her income alone Keishonna wondered how she would get ahead carrying the financial burden of past-due tax payments. Keishonna learned about the North Carolina Housing Assistance Fund (NCHAF) while listening to an announcement on the radio. She decided to apply for assistance with her past-due tax payments. “My case manager was knowledgeable, had a positive attitude, and went above and beyond to assist me. I received assistance with property taxes, and it was a smooth process. I am so grateful for the help I received,” she noted.
After 40 years with her company, Belinda was let go when her position was eliminated during the COVID-19 pandemic. While coping with the loss of her household income, she was also caring for an ill parent. Many days, she and her husband questioned how they would get through this.
They began utilizing deferred mortgage payment programs offered by their servicer to maintain monthly payments. That’s when she learned about the NC Homeowner Assistance Fund (NCHAF).
NCHAF assisted the couple with their delinquent tax payments, and they were able to get back on track with their other bills. “My case manager was thorough, polite, and responsive. She talked me through the application process,” said Belinda.
NC Homeowner Assistance Fund Provides Relief
https://ncpro.nc.gov/blog/2023/05/01/nc-homeowner-assistance-fund-provides-relief
David purchased his home in 2005 and had no idea he would eventually face foreclosure amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. David was unexpectedly laid off from his company while enrolled as a student studying molecular biology. Frustrated with his employment search, David began driving for Uber just to make ends meet. David suffered several health complications and was hospitalized adding additional stress. As a result of his illness, he fell behind in his mortgage payments. David was informed that his home was to be sold in a foreclosure auction sale with just seven days to vacate. “As a father of three, with sons in college, I did not want to embarrass them. The children feared we would be homeless,” he shared. After being discharged from the hospital, David learned about the North Carolina Homeowner Assistance Fund (NCHAF) while researching online and decided to apply immediately.
Kevin is a union employee whose company, like many others, experienced several layoffs throughout the pandemic. “Hours were cut, and we would receive calls for work based on seniority. It was stressful working only two to three days a week,” he commented.
Kevin’s health also declined significantly as a result of having COVID, and he fell behind on his mortgage payments. He was referred to the North Carolina Homeowner Assistance Fund (NCHAF) by another program and was relieved to receive assistance to help pay his past-due mortgage payments.
A North Carolina Homeowner and mother of seven experienced a whirlwind of emotions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. She had no idea how she would provide for her children when she lost employment as a school bus driver during the nationwide shutdown. She was forced to file bankruptcy and fell behind in her mortgage payments as a result. She learned about the North Carolina Homeowner Assistance Fund (NCHAF) through a referral from the Legal Aid Society and decided to apply for assistance.
Karen was faced with medical and financial challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic when her entire household contracted the virus, taking a toll on the family’s finances. She later fell behind in her mortgage payments due to a reduction in social security disability benefits.
Despite grieving the loss of a parent and recovering from the coronavirus, Karen was determined to find a solution. Overwhelmed with very few options, Karen learned about the North Carolina Homeowner Assistance Fund (NCHAF) through her sister who received assistance from the program. Karen decided to apply and worked closely with her case manager to submit documentation for her application.
Wake County Homeowner, Barry shared how difficult the COVID-19 pandemic was on his finances. Barry, like many others, experienced a layoff due during the nationwide shutdown.
Without work, and surviving off his savings, Barry fell behind on his mortgage payments. While watching the evening news, he learned about the North Carolina Homeowner Assistance Fund (NCHAF) and decided to apply for help with his past-due mortgage payments.
Ryan and Stephanie know just how lucky their family is to have peace of mind in their home again. The pandemic brought about financial challenges for the family of five when Stephanie became ill and her husband’s work hours were cut during the COVID-19 pandemic. The couple was left to survive on their credit cards and were unsure of how they would ever financially recover.
While Stephanie was hospitalized, the couple fell behind on mortgage payments. She learned of the North Carolina Homeowner Assistance Fund (NCHAF) through another program and decided to apply immediately.
Durham County homeowner, Latoya A., dreamed of purchasing a larger home to fit her new family’s needs. Unfortunately, she was laid off during the pandemic and fell behind on mortgage payments. After receiving notification from her mortgage lender they would no longer accept her partial payments and would move toward foreclosure, she learned of the NCHAF program and completed a pre-application.
Latoya believes it was divine intervention because she received an email from NCHAF advising her application was approved the day after she received notification of foreclosure. “I appreciated the NCHAF team because they were responsive when I was receiving pressure from my mortgage company,” stated Latoya. “They helped hold off the mortgage company from foreclosing on my home.”
We believe sharing real-life stories can inspire other homeowners who are struggling due to the economic impacts of the pandemic to reach out for help themselves. We hope that you will consider sharing your experience with us to help us share this program’s impact on individuals, families and communities across North Carolina.
If you are willing to share your story, please submit the information below and someone from our outreach team will contact you. Thank you for your support of the NC Homeowner Assistance Fund!
