California Mortgage Relief Program (CMRP)
Problem Statement:
During the covid-19 pandemic, several low-income homeowners fell behind on their mortgage payments due to reduced hours, reduced wages, illness, and the overall shutdown. To assist those individuals, the California Mortgage Relief Program funded by the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act’s Homeowners Assistance Fund was created. CMRP provides mortgage, property tax payment, partial claims, or loan deferral assistance to low-income homeowners that faced a pandemic-related financial hardship.
CMRP Provides:
- Up to $80,000 in past due mortgage payments
- Up to $80,000 in delinquent property taxes
- Up to $80,000 to reduce or eliminate an existing partial claim or loan deferral received during or after January 2020
- Up to $80,000 to help with late taxes and homeowners insurance for reverse mortgages
Eligibility:
For all programs
- Must have faced a pandemic-related financial hardship after January 21, 2020
- Combined household income for residents 18 and over must be at or below 150% AMI (by county)
- Homeowners cannot have cash or assets on hand (excluding savings in a retirement account) that is equal to or greater than the relief funds needed + $20,000
- Homeowners must currently own and occupy the property in California as their primary residence.
- Property may include up to 4 units on site (House, condo, permanently affixed manufactured home, ADU, duplex, four-plex).
- The unpaid principal balance of the homeowner’s primary mortgage loan, at the time of origination, cannot be greater than the “conforming loan limit” (as determined under the provisions of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 and found here) in effect at time of origination
For Mortgage Assistance
- Must have missed at least 2 payments by March 1, 2023, and are currently behind.
- Homeowner’s mortgage/loan servicer must be participating in the California Mortgage Relief Program.
For Property Taxes
- Must have missed at least 1 payment by March 1, 2023.
For Partial Claim or Loan Deferral
- Reduce or eliminate an existing partial claim and loan deferral received during or after Jan. 2020.
- Existing partial claims or loan deferrals that went into effect during or after January 2020 (partial claims or loan deferrals that were eliminated through a refinanced mortgage are not eligible for assistance)
How to Apply?
- Prepare the following documents:
- Email Address
- Mortgage Statement
- Bank Statement
- Utility Bill
- Income Documentation (i.e. pay stubs, tax returns, or unemployment document)
- Complete an online application. You will only have 7 days to complete and submit the application from the moment you create an account. Unfortunately, there are no paper copies available and the application must be turned in electronically.
For assistance applying to CMRP you can stop by our office during drop-in hours Monday, Tuesday,and Friday from 9:00A.M. to 4:00P.M or call our main desk at (707)544-6911 to schedule an appointment.
Additional places to receive assistance:
- Community Connections with a participating Sonoma County Libraries
- 2nd Mondays of the month from 10:00A.M. to 12:30P.M. at the Northwest Santa Rosa Library, 150 Coddingtown Center Santa Rosa, CA 95401
- 2nd Fridays of the month from 1:00A.M. to 3:30P.M. at the Central Santa Rosa Library, 211 E St, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
- WIC Farmers Market
- Every Thursday from 9:00A.M. – 12:00P.M. in July and August at the Santa Rosa WIC main office 1450 Guerneville Road, Santa Rosa
To speak directly with the CMRP specialist, you can contact Ligia Espinoza by phone (707) 544-6911 ext.1072 or by email at lespinoza@capsonoma.org.
