Housing

Getting Mortgage Relief
U.S. Departments of Treasury & Housing and Urban Development

Who We Are

The Making Home Affordable Program offers a range of solutions that may be able to help you take action before it's too late. The Making Home Affordable Program (MHA) is an important part of the Obama Administration's comprehensive plan to stabilize the U.S. housing market by helping homeowners get mortgage relief and avoid foreclosure. To meet the various needs of homeowners across the country, Making Home Affordable offers programs to help you:

Refinance and take advantage of today's low mortgage interest rates.
Reduce your monthly mortgage payments.
Get mortgage relief while searching for re-employment.
Get help when you owe more than your home is worth.
Avoid foreclosure when homeownership is no longer affordable or desirable.

Find out what you need:

Call to speak to a Housing and Urban Development approved counselor/expert about your individual situation: (888) 995-4673.

Determine what specific programs you might be eligible for: http://www.makinghomeaffordable.gov/programs/Pages/default.aspx

Call the TTY/TDD telephone number: (877) 304-9709

Get free advice from a Housing and Urban Development approved counselor/expert who can work with you and your mortgage company on your behalf: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/states/california/homeownership/hsgcounseling

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Filing Mortgage Complaints

Who We Are

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has set up a Consumer Response Function to help consumers find answers to inquiries about consumer financial products and services and to respond to consumer complaints regarding the business practices of banks and other institutions supervised by the CFPB. Consumer Response is currently handling complaints and inquiries related to: credit cards, mortgages, and Federal Reserve-regulated financial institutions with assets of $10 billion and greater. In addition, the CFPB offers referral services to the HOPE™ hotline. For homeowners who are behind on their mortgage in need of help, and to the independent consultant managing intake for the Independent Foreclosure Review process. Inquiries and complaints for all other products and services should continue to go through the prudential regulators.

Find out what you need:

Call the Consumer Response Toll-Free Phone Hotline:

Submit an online mortgage complaint: https://help.consumerfinance.gov/app/mortgage/ask

Mail your written complaint to:

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
P.O. Box 4503
Iowa City, Iowa 52244

Call the TTY/TDD telephone number: (855) 729-CFPB (2372)

CFPB Home Page: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/

Keep Your Home California

California State Housing Finance Agency

Keep Your Home California

Information Regarding Mortgage Assistance

Who We Are

California's programs, which are called Keep Your Home California, were developed in collaboration with numerous community partners, foreclosure counselors, housing advocates and others directly involved in helping struggling homeowners. Eighteen states, including California, have been designated as "hardest hit," either because they are struggling with unemployment rates at or above the national average or steep home price declines greater than 20 percent since the housing market downturn. The Hardest Hit Fund was created by President Obama to provide targeted aid to families in these states. On June 23, 2010, California received approval to develop four unique foreclosure prevention proposals with Hardest Hit funding. California was ultimately awarded nearly $2 billion in funds to help at least 100,000 eligible California homeowners avoid preventable foreclosures. The programs offered by Keep Your Home California include:

Unemployment Mortgage Assistance for eligible unemployed homeowners.
Mortgage Reinstatement Assistance Program for eligible homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments.
Principal Reduction Program for eligible homeowners who ow more than their home is worth.
Transition Assistance Program for eligible homeowners who are undergoing a short sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure program.

Find out what you need:

Contact Keep Your Home California: Call 1-888-954-5337

Find out if you are eligible for services: http://www.keepyourhomecalifornia.com/qualify.aspx

Program summary of Keep Your Home California services: http://www.keepyourhomecalifornia.com/programs.htm

Si se habla español: http://www.conservatucasacalifornia.org/

United Way Silicon Valley

Information and Referrals

Who we are

211 Santa Clara County, a program of United Way Silicon Valley, is the dialing code for free, non-emergency community information in Santa Clara County. Callers receive personalized information and referrals from a live, highly-trained Call Specialist who can answer questions about a variety of nonprofit services and agencies. 211 is confidential, available in over 170 languages and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Every corner of the community is touched by 211, from the businessperson who uses 211 to help an employee find drug treatment, to the family who calls 211 about financial scams against an elderly grandparent. Law enforcement agencies see scarce resources freed up when inappropriate calls to 9-1-1 decline because the public has another easily-remembered number to call for non-emergency, community needs.

Find out what you need:

To connect to a live call specialist for confidential, multi-lingual referrals to community resources: Call 211 or (866) 896-3587 from outside Santa Clara County.