Last month, Congressman David Scott, (GA-13) and Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Christopher Nunn announced the launch of the Georgia Homeowner Assistance Fund, a $354 million stimulus fund to help homeowners impacted by the pandemic with mortgage delinquencies, defaults, foreclosures, and past-due utilities.
Administered by Georgia’s DCA, the Georgia Homeowner Assistance Fund is financed by Congressman David Scott’s bill H.R. 1710, legislation included in the American Rescue Plan Act signed into law last year which offered a $10 billion lifeline in federal funding for states to launch robust Homeowner Assistance Programs as a core part of the nation’s COVID-19 relief response.
In a call to The Citizen Thursday, Congressman Scott personally invited people in Fayette County to call his office to get the ball rolling. “If anybody in Fayette County needs this help, I want them to call my office and we’ll take it from there and get them in touch with the Department of Community Affairs,” Scott said.
Congressman Scott’s district office in Jonesboro is at 173 Main St., phone 770-210-5073. His Washington office is 202-225-2939.
“For millions across the country and thousands right here in metro-Atlanta struggling to make ends meet and stay afloat on their mortgage payments due to COVID-19, help is here,” said Congressman Scott, who represents the northern part of Fayette County.
“Over the past few months, I have worked closely alongside Commissioner Christopher Nunn and community partners to connect Georgia homeowners in crisis with their share of the $10 billion Homeownership Assistance Fund I secured in the Biden Administration’s American Rescue Plan. With today’s launch of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs’ new homeowners’ assistance portal, thanks to our federal-state collaboration, Georgia’s working and middle-class homeowners who had a stroke of bad luck last year due to Covid-19 will be able to remain in the communities they love,” Scott said. Scott explained the program in detail in this video.
DCA’s commissioner echoed Scott’s sentiments. “We are excited to announce this fund. As the state’s housing agency, DCA is responsible for a myriad of affordable statewide housing programs, including the housing choice voucher program, development of affordable housing using tax credits, and the Georgia Dream program which has helped 7,050 first-time homebuyers achieve their dream of homeownership,” Nunn said.
“Modeled on federal guidelines and similarly aligned with a program that DCA administered following the Great Recession, this program will target what our data suggest is approximately 2.8% of Georgians or more than 35,000 households that are more than 90 days delinquent on their mortgage payments,” he added.
Homeowners may visit georgiamortgageassistance.ga.gov to apply. Applicants must provide a driver’s license, a mortgage statement, and tax returns and/or income verification documents. For more information, contact DCA at [email protected] or at 1-877-519-4443.
Except for extenuating circumstances due to poor health or injury, no one should be behind on mortgages if they’re not already working two or three jobs, or have a side hustle of some sort. With record low unemployment and rising wages, there’s few instances where a government redistribution of wealth should be required to pay a mortgage.