Justice launches WV homeowner relief program
(The Center Square) – West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice launched a new program designed to provide monetary relief to homeowners who experienced financial hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If you’re a homeowner, especially if you’ve been hurting financially, you’ve got to see if you can take advantage of this program because we can come running to the rescue,” Justice said in a statement. “Any federal dollars that are available to the state, we want to try to capitalize on that in any way we can. Not only will we be able to help you, but this will also be a major stimulus for our economy, because the multiplier effect of these dollars will be enormous.”
Under the West Virginia Homeowners Rescue Program, homeowners would be eligible for relief as long as their income is not greater than 150% of the county’s median income, which means lower-income, middle-income and some upper middle-income households are eligible. A person can only apply if his primary residence is within the state. Single family homes, condos, townhouses, mobile homes and duplexes are all eligible for the program.
Those who are eligible can apply to receive money for past-due mortgage payments up to $15,000 and past-due utilities up to $2,500. Residents can also apply to receive money for past-due insurance, property tax payments and other housing property costs up to $5,000. They can also apply to receive money for internet assistance up to $300 and assistance on certain downpayment loans up to $500.
“This program is designed to help homeowners that have fallen behind because of the pandemic,” Erica Boggess, the Director of the West Virginia Housing Development Fund, said in a statement.
“It’s important to note that this program is not just for people that have a mortgage loan on their home, but someone that owns their home outright who may have fallen behind on property taxes, for example, can also get some benefit from this program. …I just want to encourage everybody that’s a homeowner in West Virginia, that maybe has fallen behind, please visit our website. There’s much more information there about what’s covered, what’s eligible, and how the program is going to operate, and it also has a list of the documents that you’ll need to provide when you fill out your application.”
Applicants will need to demonstrate they fell behind on payments because of financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The WVHDF will begin taking online or paper applications beginning March 28.
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