Downriver Today

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has teamed up with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) to launch a new program that provides financial support to helps Michiganders keep their homes.

The Michigan Homeowner Assistance Fund (MIHAF) will offer financial assistance to those who have fallen behind on bills relating to homeownership by using federal funds provided by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Whitmer's office said in a release on Feb. 14.

"The MIHAF program will ensure thousands of Michigan homeowners avoid the personal devastation of foreclosure while also helping communities across Michigan reduce the secondary impacts foreclosures can have on neighborhoods, local governments, and social services networks," Mary Townley, MSHDA director of homeownership, said in the release. "We are grateful to Governor Whitmer for putting Michigan first and providing this critical support."

MIHAF program assistance can be applied toward expenses such as delinquent mortgages, property taxes, condominium payments, payments of escrow shortages and past due utilities, Whitmer's office said.

The U.S. Treasury allocated approximately $242.8 million for MIHAF, Whitmer's office said. MSHDA estimates the funds will aid over 8,300 Michiganders. While half of the funds will be allocated by the state Legislature, the remainder will be approved in the future.

Applicants who have experienced qualified financial hardships due to COVID-19 after Jan. 21, 2020, or those who had a qualified hardship prior to that date but continued experiencing hardship afterward qualify for MIHAF as long as they meet income-eligibility requirements and their property is occupied by the owner, Whitmer's office said. MIHAF can provide a maximum of $25,000 in assistance per household.