Lt. Gov. Crouch, IHCDA Accepting Applications for the Indiana Homeowner Assistance Fund

Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) today announced the state’s mortgage assistance program, the Indiana Homeowner Assistance Fund (IHAF). The portal is accepting applications for mortgage assistance for Hoosiers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of the American Rescue Plan Act, the U.S. Department of Treasury awarded Indiana with $167,921,663 to be used for assistance with the mortgage payments, property taxes, homeowners insurance and homeowner/condominium fees of eligible Hoosiers.

“The Indiana Homeowner Assistance Fund (IHAF) is designed to promote housing stability and prevent foreclosures across the Hoosier state,” Crouch said. “We are pleased to work with our network of program partners and participating lenders to provide this assistance.” 

Applications are being accepting through 877gethope.org. Accommodations can be made for homeowners who would prefer non-electronic applications or who would prefer assistance in completing their online application by calling 877-GET-HOPE.

To qualify for IHAF, as determined by the U.S. Treasury, at the time of application you must:

• Be a homeowner who is defined as the owner-occupant of a single-family home, condominium, 2-, 3-, or 4-family dwelling or manufactured homes permanently affixed to real property. The home must be located in Indiana and be the homeowner’s primary residence
• Have an income equal to or less than 150% of Area Median Income, adjusted for household size or 100% of the National Median Income, whichever is greater
• Have experienced a financial hardship after January 21, 2020, associated with the COVID-19 pandemic

The maximum per household IHAF assistance amount is capped at $35,000 and is limited to one time per household. This assistance is paid directly to the mortgage lender and is not considered taxable income.

“IHCDA remains committed to allocating funds from the federal government to Hoosiers in need,” said Jacob Sipe, Executive Director of IHCDA. “Housing stability continues to be one of our top priorities as we recover from the pandemic. We look forward to administering this mortgage assistance Hoosiers across the state.”

The following documents may be required in the application:

• Income documents:
  • Acceptable income documents may include paystubs or other wage statements, depository institution (or bank) statements demonstrating regular income, or a statement of income from an employer
  • IRS Form 1099s and tax filings (for self-employed applicants only)
  • Social security, child support, unemployment, and other income statements as applicable
• Mortgage statements or other mortgage documents
• Property tax statements from your city, town or county
• Homeowner’s Insurance statements
• Homeowner or Condo Association fee statements

In addition to the IHAF program, IHCDA has additional resources for Hoosiers in need of assistance:

Rental Assistance – The Indiana Emergency Rental Assistance Program provides up to 18 months of rental and utility assistance to those who self-attest to having been impacted by COVID-19.

Utility Assistance – The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Low-Income Home Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) helps Hoosier homeowners and renters pay their heat, electric and water bills: eap.ihcda.in.gov.