Mortgage assistance offered by Union Plus
If you are a union member, you may be eligible for mortgage assistance loans to help you make it thru a period of unemployment, strike, disability or a lockout. Unions that participate in the Union Plus Mortgage Program can receive mortgage help from The Mortgage Assistance Fund. It is exclusively for union members and organized labor, as well as their immediate families including their parents and children. This fund has already provided several million dollars in interest-free loans and grants to working families whose income was reduced due to the factors above, such as job loss, disability, reduction in hours, strike or a lockout.
There are some conditions. If you are disabled, involuntarily unemployed, or involved in a short-term lock out or strike of less than 30 days, you can apply for help in the form of an interest-free loan, or even a cash grant, from the Union Plus Mortgage Assistance Program. Many states also offer foreclosure and mortgage assistance programs.
- Some of the money provided is a grant. You can receive as much as $1,000 in a grant which does not have to be repaid.
- If you receive an interest free loan, repayment of the loan begins 4 months after the last assistance check you received.
- Loans are provided to cover up to six months of mortgage payments, and you need to re-certify in the mortgage assistance program after 3 months.
- If you decide to refinance or sell your home, you need to repay your loan at the time of the transaction.
There is also aid provided in the form of a strike benefit for the Union Plus Mortgage program. This program works by that if you are an organized labor or union member and if you are involved in an authorized strike or lockout lasting 30 days or more, Union Plus Mortgage Assistance provides additional help for those involved in these strike/lock-out benefits. Call 1-800-472-2005.
- Beginning with the first mortgage payment that is due after the 30th day of the strike or lockout, Union Plus Mortgage Assistance will cover your mortgage payment for up to 6 months from that period.
- These mortgage benefits do not have to be repaid, ever. This is a one-time benefit in the form of a grant that is provided for one strike or lockout during the entire term of your mortgage, so it can only be relied upon once.
With any type of program, Union Plus does have limited funds and resources available, and program terms could change in the future. However, these loans have been able to help thousands of families pay their mortgage during a difficult period.
|
