Stopping a foreclosure in Boston
A homeowner in Boston who has missed mortgage payments often has time to act, and Massachusetts law builds some of that time in. This is a plain-English guide that covers the options. After an account falls behind, the mortgage company must send a formal notice that gives the homeowner a set period to catch up before a foreclosure can move forward. Most foreclosures in this state also happen outside of a courtroom, so no judge automatically reviews the case, which makes it important to get help during that period instead of waiting.
Everything on this page is free. It covers the foreclosure counseling program run by the City of Boston, the nonprofit agencies the city refers homeowners to, the state program that may put money toward missed mortgage payments, free legal representation for homeowners whose foreclosure has already started, and the companies that charge desperate homeowners for help that costs nothing.
- SCAM WARNING: Foreclosure prevention, mortgage modification, and in general anything around helping a struggling homeowner are common targets of scammers. All help is free - as is every option on this page. Never pay for help, be mindful of sharing personal information and only use a screened program like on this page.
Free counseling from the Boston Home Center
The place to start is the Boston Home Center, the homeownership office inside the Mayor's Office of Housing. Its foreclosure prevention and intervention program is free and confidential, and it exists for people who live in the Boston home they own, in buildings of up to four units.
A counselor there may work directly with the mortgage company on a loan modification to resolve the missed payments, address a tax title problem, provide budget counseling that helps reduce other expenses, and help the homeowner apply for state assistance money. The city is direct about one point: no one should ever pay a company for these services, because the Home Center provides them at no cost.
Call 617-635-4663 or email [email protected] The office is at 26 Court Street downtown, open on weekdays, and the program details are on the foreclosure prevention page from the City of Boston at https://www.boston.gov/departments/housing/foreclosure-prevention-and-intervention.
The three nonprofit agencies the city works through
The Home Center runs its counseling through three nonprofit partner agencies, and a homeowner may contact any of them directly. ESAC, short for Ensuring Stability through Action in our Community, may be reached at (617) 524-2555. Urban Edge, a community development corporation, answers at (617) 989-9309. The Mattapan Family Service Center, run by Action for Boston Community Development, takes calls at (617) 298-2045.
These are the same counselors the city itself sends people to, and their foreclosure services are free. Homeowners outside the city, or anyone who wants more choices, may look through the NHPB guide to HUD foreclosure counseling agencies in Massachusetts, which lists certified agencies across the state.
What the mortgage company itself may offer
The mortgage servicer, meaning the company that collects the payment, is generally required under federal rules to consider a borrower for alternatives before starting a foreclosure. Depending on the situation, a servicer may agree to a repayment plan that adds a portion of the missed amount to each monthly payment, a temporary pause or reduction in payments, or a permanent change to the loan terms. The earlier a homeowner calls, the more of these remain available, because some choices disappear as the account falls further behind.
No one has to make that call alone. A Home Center counselor may join the conversation with the servicer, and the NHPB guide to mortgage help in Massachusetts covers statewide programs that may pair with whatever the servicer offers.
RAFT, the state program that may pay toward missed payments
Massachusetts runs one program that may put actual money toward a delinquent mortgage. It is called Residential Assistance for Families in Transition, or RAFT, and although many people think of it as rent help, homeowners facing foreclosure are eligible to apply. When an application is approved, the payment goes straight to the mortgage company, not to the homeowner.
RAFT has real limits. Household income needs to fall under the area limit for the city. The homeowner needs proof of the crisis, which for a mortgage generally means a statement showing the account is several months behind. The total help per household is capped over a rolling period at an amount that changes with state funding. Approval is never guaranteed, and a decision typically takes a few weeks, which is one more reason to apply at the first sign of serious trouble rather than the week of an auction.
Applications go through the state's online housing portal, and the current rules, income limits, and document list are on the RAFT page from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at https://www.mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-raft-emergency-help-for-housing-costs. Anyone who cannot manage the online application may get free help with it, from the Home Center or from Metro Housing Boston, the regional agency that processes RAFT applications for the city, at (617) 425-6700.
Free legal help once a foreclosure has started
A homeowner who has received foreclosure paperwork, or who believes the process was handled improperly, may qualify for a free lawyer. Greater Boston Legal Services represents income-eligible homeowners at no charge, and its work includes defending against foreclosures, challenging a servicer's wrongful denial of a loan modification, and defending former owners against eviction after a foreclosure sale. Legal aid intake lines fill up, so it may take more than one call to be screened.
The state Attorney General's consumer division (website: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/consumer-services-at-the-attorney-generals-office) is another place to learn which rights apply to a specific situation. For a homeowner considering whether a private attorney could negotiate with the lender, the NHPB guide to loan modification help from lawyers explains what that involves and what it should never cost up front. For options in the state, see the Massachusetts free legal aid page.
The NACA Home Save program
One more free service belongs on this list because it is headquartered in Boston. The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, known as NACA (website: https://www.naca.com/), runs a national program called Home Save for homeowners whose mortgage payment has become unaffordable. A NACA advocate helps the homeowner assemble a complete file, then works on the homeowner's behalf with the mortgage company toward a modification that lowers the payment, using agreements NACA holds with most of the large servicers. The service does not cost anything, though it requires the homeowner's active participation. The NHPB guide to the NACA Home Save program explains how the process works.
Foreclosure rescue scams in Boston
Foreclosure filings are public records, which means companies buy the lists, and the letters and phone calls often start soon after a homeowner falls behind. Some of what arrives is a scam aimed at people who are scared and short on time.
The patterns repeat. A company asks for a fee up front to arrange a loan modification, which Massachusetts consumer protection rules prohibit. A caller guarantees that the auction will be stopped, which no honest person can promise. Someone advises the homeowner to stop speaking with the mortgage company, or to start sending the monthly payment to a new address. In the worst version, the homeowner is told that signing the deed over to a rescuer is the way to stay in the house, and the house is simply taken.
The test is simple, because every legitimate service on this page is free. Anyone charging money for the same promises is the warning sign. Before signing anything or paying anyone, describe the offer to the Boston Home Center or the Attorney General's office.
Nothing on this page is legal advice, and no organization listed here can promise that a foreclosure will be stopped. Rules, deadlines, and funding change over time. Confirm every detail directly with the agency or with the mortgage company before making any decision about the home.
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