Behind on your mortgage or facing foreclosure — here is where to get help
This page covers the main sources of mortgage assistance available to homeowners who are behind on payments, facing foreclosure, or struggling to keep up with housing costs. It covers free counseling services, nonprofit organizations, emergency help from charities, bank programs, state and local government assistance, and property tax relief.
For help finding resources in your specific state, see state and local government mortgage assistance programs.. If you are a veteran or active military member, there are additional programs covered on this page as well.
- KEY NOTE: The single most important step anyone facing foreclosure can take is to call a free HUD-approved housing counselor before anything else. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds a national network of nonprofit counseling agencies that help homeowners at no charge. They can review your situation, explain your options, and communicate with your lender on your behalf. Call 1-800-569-4287 to be connected to a HUD-approved agency near you, or find one at https://www.hud.gov/findacounselor. This call costs nothing and the counselors work for you, not your lender.
Free Counseling and Nonprofit Help
HUD-approved housing counseling agencies are the best direct starting point for any homeowner in trouble. Counselors are certified and free to use. They help with loan modifications, forbearance requests, repayment plans, and foreclosure prevention. They will also tell you if you do not have good options with your current lender and what else you can try. Get details on HUD housing counseling.
The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, or NACA, has offices across the country and offers free mortgage counseling and direct help negotiating with lenders. Their counselors have a strong track record of getting loan modifications approved for people who have been turned down elsewhere. NACA does not charge fees for its services. Find details on mortgage help from NACA.
NeighborWorks America manages the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling program, which funds free counseling through a national network of nonprofit agencies. The program provides one-on-one help for homeowners facing foreclosure and can also refer you to legal aid and emergency financial assistance depending on your situation. Learn more about National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling.
Freddie Mac supports a national network of nonprofit counseling agencies through its Borrower Help Network. Like HUD agencies, these counselors help homeowners communicate with servicers and work through options including loan modifications and repayment plans. Find a Freddie Mac Borrower Help Network agency.
Emergency Help from Charities
Several national charities help homeowners who are at risk of losing their home, particularly families in a short-term crisis rather than a long-term financial situation they cannot recover from.
The Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, and Saint Vincent de Paul are the most widely available. They can provide one-time emergency help with a mortgage payment, refer you to other assistance programs, and in some cases help with moving costs if keeping the home is no longer possible. Catholic Charities runs HUD-certified housing counseling at many of its locations as well. Find Catholic Charities free housing counseling and also see the page about Saint Vincent de Paul financial assistance.
The Urban League has housing programs across the country with a focus on helping African American, Latino, and other minority households avoid foreclosure, access counseling, and connect with assistance programs. Find Urban League assistance programs.
Community Action Agencies are locally run organizations funded in part by the federal government. Some can provide emergency grant money toward a mortgage payment, and nearly all can refer you to programs in your area that can help. Get more details about Community Action Agency programs near you.
For homeowners who are at risk of homelessness as a result of losing their home, homeless prevention programs funded by state and federal agencies can provide additional assistance and help with transitional housing. Learn about homeless prevention programs.
If you need free legal help dealing with a foreclosure, legal aid organizations across the country serve income-eligible homeowners at no cost. Learn about free legal advice for foreclosure.
Union members should check with their union before looking elsewhere — Union Plus provides mortgage assistance specifically for union members and their immediate families, including short-term help for people who have lost their job or had a medical emergency. Find details on Union Plus mortgage assistance.
Help Directly From Your Bank or Lender
If you are behind on your mortgage, be sure to call your loan servicer as soon as possible — the company you send payments to — and ask about your options. Banks and mortgage servicers are generally required to review you for alternatives to foreclosure before proceeding. Common options include forbearance, which lets you pause or reduce payments temporarily, loan modification, which changes your loan terms to make payments more affordable, and repayment plans that let you catch up on missed payments over time.
Mortgage forbearance is available through many major lenders. It does not erase what you owe, but it gives you time to stabilize your finances without a foreclosure proceeding. Learn more about mortgage forbearance programs.
Bank of America has foreclosure prevention programs including loan modifications, interest rate reductions, and principal reduction in some cases. Find details on Bank of America mortgage assistance.
JP Morgan Chase offers free foreclosure counseling and delinquency assistance programs for homeowners. Find more on JP Morgan Chase mortgage assistance.
Wells Fargo has programs for struggling homeowners including loan modifications and forbearance. Find details on Wells Fargo mortgage assistance.
State and Local Government Programs
Many states and local governments run their own mortgage assistance programs for low-income homeowners, the unemployed, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities. Some provide direct grants or zero-interest loans to catch up on overdue payments. These programs vary significantly by state — some are well-funded, others have limited money available. Find your state mortgage assistance programs.
Foreclosure mediation programs have been created by a number of state and local court systems. They require the lender and homeowner to meet with a neutral mediator before a foreclosure can proceed, which often leads to a loan modification or other solution. These programs are free for homeowners and are available in many states. Learn more about foreclosure mediation programs.
Property Tax Help
If property taxes are adding to the pressure, relief programs exist for seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income homeowners in most states. Getting your property taxes reduced or deferred frees up money that can go toward your mortgage. Find more on property tax assistance and how to contest your home assessment.
Military and Veteran Homeowners
The Military Homeowners Assistance Program provides housing assistance to service members and veterans facing financial hardship, including mortgage help and foreclosure prevention. Learn more about the Military Homeowners Assistance Program.
Community Forum - Feedback
If you are looking for feedback, suggestions and tips from other people, try our moderated community forum on mortgage help. There you will find real life experiences from people across the country. Ask for ideas, share resources, and learn about the challenges other people face or learn about other programs.
A Warning About Mortgage Assistance Scams
Homeowners who are behind on their mortgage are a common target for scammers. If anyone contacts you — by phone, mail, or online — offering to save your home from foreclosure for an upfront fee, that is a scam. No legitimate nonprofit, government agency, or HUD-approved counselor will ever charge you money upfront to apply for mortgage help or a loan modification.
You should also never sign your home's deed over to a third party who promises to let you stay as a renter and buy it back later — that is a well-documented fraud scheme that results in people losing their homes entirely. If you are unsure whether a company offering you mortgage help is legitimate, you can verify HUD-approved counseling agencies for free at hud.gov or by calling 1-800-569-4287. Report suspected scams to the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/.
This page provides general information about mortgage assistance resources. Program availability, eligibility, and funding change frequently. Always verify current offerings directly with each organization. If you are facing foreclosure, contacting a HUD-approved housing counselor at 1-800-569-4287 is the recommended first step.
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