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Home Affordable Unemployment Program

Help for unemployed homeowners. If you are having difficulty paying your mortgage because of unemployment, this government program may help you temporarily suspend your payments while you are seeking new employment.

Is the Home Affordable Unemployment Program right for me?

Program goal

The goal of the Home Affordable Unemployment Program—or simply, the Unemployment Program—is to give you a period of suspended mortgage payments while you are looking for work for up to 12 months.

Eligibility

You may be eligible for the Unemployment Program if:

you are currently unemployed

you have received unemployment benefits within the past 6 months, or believe you will soon

you are behind on payments, or believe you will be soon

you have not entered into a permanent loan modification agreement under the Home Affordable Modification Program

your mortgage is not guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac

How do I know?

At this time, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not participating in this program. To see if your mortgage is owned or guaranteed by them, simply call the toll-free numbers below or use their online lookup tools

Fannie Mae:

1.800.7FANNIE (8am to 8pm ET) www.fanniemae.com/loanlookup Opens a new window

Freddie Mac:

1.800.FREDDIE (8am to 8pm ET) www.freddiemac.com/mymortgage Opens a new window

your home loan is not an FHA or VA loan

How do I know?

FHA loan document


One quick way to check and see if your mortgage may be FHA or VA-insured is to look at page 2 of monthly loan statement. On the right hand side of the document under "Loan Type and Term," you will see the length of the term and the type of loan that our system shows you may have.

If you are having difficulty finding the information, call one of our home retention specialists at 1.800.669.6650 and let them help you determine whether or not your mortgage is an FHA or VA loan.

your home is your primary residence and you reside in the property

the amount you owe on your first mortgage is equal to or less than:

  • $729,750 for 1 unit
  • $934,200 for 2 units
  • $1,129,250 for 3 units
  • $1,403,400 for 4 units

your current mortgage was taken out on or before January 1, 2009

If you are currently in a Home Affordable Modification trial period

If you choose to participate in the Home Affordable Unemployment Program, your existing application for the Home Affordable Modification Program and your Trial Period Plan will be canceled.

You may re-apply for a Home Affordable Modification once you are re-employed, or once you have completed the Unemployment Program. If you choose to re-apply, your new modification application will be based on your new financial situation and the income documentation you provide at that time.

It is important to note that one or more of the following may occur:

  • You may no longer be eligible for a Home Affordable Modification based on your new financial documentation.
  • If you are qualified for a new Home Affordable Modification, your new Trial Period Plan payments may be different than the trial period payments you have now.
If you are not eligible for the Unemployment Program

If you do not meet the eligibility requirements listed above, you may still be eligible for the Home Affordable Modification Program.

You may also be able to find help with our other loan assistance programs.

Program At A Glance

The Home Affordable Unemployment Program at a glance

How it works

If you qualify for the Unemployment Program, your mortgage payments will be suspended for a limited period or until you are re-employed, whichever comes first. If you are already in the foreclosure process when you enroll in the Unemployment Program, the foreclosure sale will not take place for as long as you are in the program. Please contact us to discuss which options may be available to you.

If you find a job

If you find a job while in the program, you will be considered for participation in the Home Affordable Modification Program. This program’s goal is to permanently modify your loan so that your monthly payments are 31% of your pre-tax (gross) monthly income.

If you do not find a job

If you do not find a job while in the program, you will be considered for participation in the Home Affordable Modification Program. We will be in touch with you approximately 30 days prior to completing your Unemployment Program forbearance period. If you do not qualify for the Home Affordable Modification Program, we will review your financial information to determine if there are any other loan assistance options available to you

Keep in mind

Under the Unemployment Program your payments are suspended, not canceled. This means you will need to pay back the amount that was suspended. Once you complete the program, normal payments will resume. Options for repayment include:

  • making a one-time payment for the full past due amount
  • a repayment plan may be setup increasing the amount of your monthly mortgage payments until the full past due amount is repaid
  • if you have been approved for the Home Affordable Modification Program after completing your forbearance, the postponed payments will not be due immediately. They will be incorporated into your modified loan amount.
Get Started

How do I get started with the Home Affordable Unemployment Program?

Call us

When you call, we will pair you with a Customer Relationship Manager who will work with you throughout the loan assistance process.

Call us today at:
1.800.669.6650

8am-12am ET Mon-Thur
8am-10pm ET Fri
8am-6pm ET Sat
3pm-12am ET Sun

Call Information Sheet » Opens a New Window.

To help you keep track of important deadlines and take notes during the call, please print out this form prior to calling.