CHARLESTON, W.VA.— As the West Virginia Homeowners Rescue Program celebrates two years of helping homeowners across the state, officials encourage qualified homeowners to apply for emergency assistance before funding runs out.
Since launching on March 28, 2022, the Homeowners Rescue Program has paid out more than $31 million to help 6,300 West Virginia homeowners with their housing expenses, including past-due mortgages, utilities, real property taxes, and home insurance premiums. In July 2023, the program began offering up to $10,000 to help qualified homeowners make critical repairs to their homes. To date, the program has paid out nearly $4 million to help homeowners replace damaged roofs and worn-out HVAC systems, make accessibility modifications, or fix plumbing, electrical, and structural issues.
“The financial help we have provided to thousands of West Virginias over the past two years really demonstrates the need for this emergency assistance, especially for critical home repairs,” said Erica Boggess, Executive Director of the West Virginia Housing Development Fund, which administers the West Virginia Homeowners Rescue Program. “However, this is one-time funding, meaning that once the money is gone the program will end. We urge eligible West Virginia homeowners behind in their housing costs or struggling to pay for critical repairs to visit the Homeowners Rescue website and apply today.”
To be eligible for the Homeowners Rescue Program, applicants must:
- Own and reside in the home in West Virginia as their primary residence;
- Attest to experiencing a COVID-related financial hardship;
- Be at least 60 days behind in their mortgage and/or at least one installment payment behind in their utilities, taxes, or insurance.
To qualify for help with critical home repairs, applicants must own and reside in their home as their primary residence in West Virginia and attest to experiencing a COVID-related financial hardship. Homeowners do not need to be delinquent in their mortgages to qualify for home repair assistance, but they must:
- Submit a signed bid from a licensed, insured contractor and photos of requested home repairs;
- Submit proof of identification, residency, ownership, and income, as well as statements from creditors showing past-due amounts owed; and
- Provide proof that they are up-to-date on their mortgage payments or that they do not owe a mortgage.
“For two years, we’ve heard from many West Virginians how this program has saved their homes from foreclosure or the auction block,” said Jessica Greathouse, the Fund’s Special Programs Manager. “Although we have helped more than 6,300 households, we know there are more people out there who may not have heard about the program yet or are hesitant to apply. We really encourage any eligible homeowner who has experienced a pandemic-related financial hardship to get your documents together and submit your application. Our caseworkers are reviewing applications and approving payments every day to help West Virginians keep their homes. We want to help as many people as possible with the remaining funds we have available, so get those applications in today.”
Applications generally are best completed in a single sitting and applicants should have all necessary documents ready ahead of time. Once the application is complete and documents are uploaded, applicants should be sure to click “submit” to ensure the application is fully submitted and ready for review. Applications showing a “Pending” status are not submitted and will not be reviewed until fully submitted.
The West Virginia Homeowners Rescue Program has limited funding available. Eligible claims will be paid as funding allows. The program reserves the right to close the application portal when all funds are committed.
Homeowners can visit www.wvhomerescue.com to learn more about eligibility guidelines, required documents, and covered expenses and to access the online application portal.
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About WVHDF
The West Virginia Housing Development Fund was established to increase the supply of residential housing for individuals and families of low to moderate income and to provide construction and permanent mortgage financing to public and private housing investors. The West Virginia Housing Development Fund is an Equal Housing Opportunity Lender, NMLS # 198038. For more information, visit www.wvhdf.com.