HAF Awards More Than $156 Million in Assistance to Florida's Vulnerable Homeowners

~ Weekly Update for the Homeowner Assistance Fund, Week of July 4 - July 8 ~

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) announced that it has awarded more than $156 million in total relief, with more than $17 million awarded this week alone, to some of Florida’s most vulnerable homeowners through the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF). 

"The DEO HAF team is working around the clock to expedite assistance to our state's most vulnerable homeowners – Florida has now distributed more funding through its HAF program than California and Texas combined," said DEO Secretary Dane Eagle. "We are committed to keeping Floridians in their homes and will continue to award relief to as many eligible Floridians as possible until funding is exhausted."

PROGRAM UPDATES FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 4 - JULY 8

Applications

• A total of 5,681 homeowner applications have been approved by DEO, representing more than $156 million in awards to date.
  • 15,067 homeowners have been invited to apply but have not started their applications.
  • 11,245 applications have been started by homeowners but have not been submitted.
  • 10,138 applications have been submitted to DEO by homeowners.

Registrations

• 47,489 eligible registrations have been submitted.
  
  • 44,850 registrations are Tier 1, and all have been invited to apply for relief. 
  • 2,639 registrations are Tier 2. 

DEO continues to prioritize Florida’s most vulnerable homeowners and is inviting homeowners in Tier 1 to apply for assistance. DEO will invite homeowners in Tier 2 to apply after homeowners in Tier 1 have received assistance, pending the availability of funding. DEO remains committed to processing Florida’s HAF program registrations and applications as quickly as possible.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: GETTING THE WORD OUT

DEO continues to connect with homeowners in Florida communities through through the following outreach efforts:

• More than 260 outreach events have been facilitated with:
  
  • 39 faith-based organizations, 
  • 35 community-based organizations, 
  • 97 local businesses, and 
  • 45 local governments. 
• Additional outreach efforts include:
  • Partnerships with university campus organizations that focus on community awareness and action through educational, economic, and cultural service activities. 
  • Grassroots outreach efforts such as high-traffic canvassing, information booths, and speaking opportunities. 
  • The network of Florida Urban League Affiliates, providing services in 19 counties across the State of Florida, representing two-thirds of the state's population.

CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER LOCATIONS

More than 1,000 homeowners have been assisted at Florida Homeowner Assistance Fund Customer Assistance Centers.

Homeowners may visit one of eight in-person Customer Assistance Centers for assistance. At a customer assistance center, homeowners may:

• Complete a registration for the Florida HAF program.
• Once the homeowner has been invited to apply, receive assistance with completing an application for assistance through the Florida HAF program.
• Receive assistance with uploading documentation necessary to complete an application.
• Receive an update on the status of a submitted application for assistance through the Florida HAF program.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

• Florida homeowners who have been impacted by the pandemic and believe they may be eligible to receive relief through the HAF program are encouraged to register to participate in the program. Potential applicants can complete the registration process by visiting www.FLHomeownerAssistance.org.

• Registration assists DEO in determining the eligibility and prioritization of prospective applicants for the program.

• After registrants are determined eligible, they receive an invitation to apply for assistance and are encouraged to apply for all types of assistance available through the HAF program, including mortgage and utility assistance.

RESOURCES FOR APPLICANTS

The Homeowner Assistance Fund Customer Assistance Center (833-987-8997) is available Monday-Thursday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Eastern Time), for all inquiries and questions.

Additional resources listed below are available at www.FLHomeownerAssistance.org:

• FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
• PROGRAM OVERVIEW
• APPLICATION DOCUMENT CHECKLIST
• APPLICATION GUIDE

PREVIOUS PROGRAM UPDATES

• On February 9, 2022, DEO received approval of the state of Florida's Homeowner Assistance Fund Needs Assessment and Plan from the United States Department of the Treasury (U.S. Treasury) to implement the state's HAF program for eligible homeowners. The Needs Assessment and Plan was submitted to the U.S. Treasury on August 20, 2021.

• Prior to the approval of the state’s HAF Needs Assessment and Plan, DEO began utilizing 10 percent of the allocated funding to launch the Homeowner Assistance Fund Pilot Program in November 2021, in accordance with U.S. Treasury guidance. The state of Florida was one of 12 states to proactively launch a HAF Pilot Program while waiting for the U.S. Treasury to approve its Needs Assessment and Plan.

• On February 28, 2022, DEO initiated Phase 2 of the HAF program by opening registration for prospective applicants. Applicants determined eligible through the registration process are currently receiving unique application links by email to apply for up to $50,000 in assistance.

• On June 24, 2022, DEO reached a key milestone – awarding more than $100 million to assist Florida's vulnerable homeowners. 

ABOUT HAF
HAF is designed to mitigate financial hardships associated with the COVID-19 pandemic by preventing homeowners’ mortgage delinquencies, defaults, foreclosures, and displacements, as well as by providing assistance with home energy services, internet, property and/or flood insurance, property taxes, and homeowner or condominium association fees. Eligible Florida homeowners may receive up to $50,000 in assistance.


ABOUT DEO
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity combines the state’s economic, workforce and community development efforts, expediting economic development projects to fuel job creation in competitive communities and promote economic resiliency. For more information, including valuable resources for employers and job seekers, please visit www.FloridaJobs.org.