COVID Relief Archives

Updates to Covid-19 Relief Options for FHA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac Borrowers

September 22, 2021

September 22, 2021 Between June 24 and July 23, federal agencies issued over a dozen updates related to loss mitigation policies that apply to borrowers facing COVID-19 hardships. This included a full revision to the waterfall of options for FHA-insured loans and critical adjustments to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s loan modification policies. This webinar…

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Overview of the CFPB’s Covid-19 RESPA Rule

August 26, 2021

August 26, 2021 On June 28, 2021, the CFPB released a final rule under RESPA that includes important protections for homeowners impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The rule, which takes effect August 31, 2021, imposes procedural safeguards that limit servicers’ ability to initiate foreclosure through December 31, 2021. It also sets out enhanced early intervention…

Watch Recording Read More about Overview of the CFPB’s Covid-19 RESPA Rule

Joint Statement on Supervisory and Enforcement Practices Regarding the Mortgage Servicing Rules in Response to the COVID-19 Emergency and the CARES Act

June 8, 2021

Advocates Applaud HUD’s Actions to Protect Vulnerable Widows and Widowers and Prevent Avoidable Foreclosures

May 12, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 12, 2021 Boston – National Consumer Law Center advocates applaud the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for two recently announced policy changes that will help homeowners avoid unnecessary foreclosures. HUD’s reverse mortgage policy change, announced in Mortgagee Letter 2021-11, will allow non-borrowing spouses of reverse mortgage borrowers to…

CFPB Will Hold Debt Collectors Accountable to Tenants for Illegal Evictions

April 19, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 19, 2021 NCLC Attorney Praises CFPB for Upholding the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act on Rule that Could Impact up to 9 Million Families Behind in Rent Payments Boston – Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced an interim final rule that will require debt collectors to give tenants a written…

Advocates Applaud Passage of $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Economic Stimulus to Help Americans but Congress Must Ensure EIPs Feed Families, Not Debt Collectors

March 10, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MARCH 10, 2021 Washington, D.C. – Advocates at the National Consumer Law Center praised Congress for passing the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to help struggling families. But they noted that more needs to be done, especially to address the immediate risk, if Congress does not act quickly, that…

19 Financial Services and Consumer Groups Urge Congress to Exempt Economic Impact Payments from Garnishment

March 10, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 10, 2021 Congress should protect the third-round of economic impact payments from garnishment so families that need the financial relief can access funds without delay Washington, D.C. – In a joint letter sent to Congress yesterday, 19 consumer and financial industry organizations urged lawmakers to protect the third round of economic…

COVID-Driven Utility Debt Fuels a Looming Crisis in Shut-offs in Massachusetts and the Nation

February 16, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 16, 2021 National Consumer Law Center Analysis Finds Huge Increase in Number of Small Business and Residential Customers at Risk of Termination Download the report at: http://bit.ly/covid-util-arrearages Boston – The COVID-19 crisis put millions of Americans in financial peril, hitting households of color particularly hard. In response, moratoriums on utility shut…

Report: Vulnerable Taxpayers Can Expect Higher Costs for Tax Preparation Services During the COVID Economic Crisis; Missing Stimulus Payments Can Be Claimed through Tax Returns

February 11, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 11, 2021 Download the report at: http://bit.ly/2021-tax-season Boston ― Tax season kicks off on February 12, several weeks later than usual. Today, the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) issued its annual advisory on taxpayer consumer protection issues and warned that consumers need to be on guard as they navigate the tax…

Letter Supporting Inclusion of Homeowner Relief in COVID Stimulus Relief Package

February 8, 2021

We are writing to urge you to include desperately needed relief to struggling homeowners in the COVID-19 relief package before Congress. Specifically, we request that it include $25 billion for direct assistance to homeowners with COVID-19 hardships, who disproportionately represent communities of color hurt most by the pandemic, with the bulk of the funds deployed through state housing finance agencies through the Homeowner Assistance Fund and including at least $100 million for housing counseling and $39.7 million for the Fair Housing Initiatives Program.

Advocates Applaud Senate Bill Fund to Help Millions of Families Keep Their Homes; Urge Inclusion In COVID Stimulus Bill

February 5, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FEBRUARY 5, 2021 Housing and Civil Rights Groups Call for Homeowner Assistance Fund to Avoid New Wave of Foreclosures and Devastating Effects for Communities of Color Today, leading housing and civil rights groups applauded Senator Jack Reed’s reintroduction of the Homeowner Assistance Fund bill as Congress and the Biden administration consider the…

Leading Civil Rights Groups Commend President Joe Biden’s Executive Action to Advance Fair Housing and Racial Equity

January 26, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 26, 2021 Washington, D.C. — Today, leading civil rights groups commended President Joe Biden for taking action to advance racial equity for Americans in the first days of his term. The civil rights community asked the Biden-Harris Administration to take this critical step — to name racial justice as a key pillar of…

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