Welcome
What can I expect when I call?
Washington HAF connects you with a housing counselor who provides free and confidential support and can assist you with many options to prevent foreclosure. Call the Hotline at 1-877‐894‐4663 for a no-cost assessment and referral to a housing counselor in your area.
Step 1:
Call us
Let’s talk so we can find the best housing counselor for you.
Step 2:
Meet with Us
Your qualified housing counselor can create a plan to help you.
Step 3:
We Advocate for You
Your housing counselor can advocate on your behalf with lenders and others.
Step 4: We Resolve Your Situation
With HAF funding
Your housing counselor can help you apply for funding, which will then be distributed to your lender.
or
With other resources
Your housing counselor can help you with other ways to prevent foreclosure or lessen its negative effects.
What is Washington HAF?
The Washington State Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) provides individual support and federal relief funds to qualified Washington homeowners behind on their mortgage due to pandemic hardship. This program is administered by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission (WSHFC). Learn More
Beware of scams!
Don’t pay anyone who offers to help you for a fee. Washington HAF is the only program authorized to distribute HAF funds in Washington state. Call 1-877‐894‐4663.
Am I eligible? Request a call back to find out.
Connect to a Housing Counselor
“Worried about losing your home? Let me talk to your lender.”
Resources
Frequently asked questions
The following FAQ section may not be ideal for screen readers. We also have an FAQ PDF that is ADA compliant
No Citizenship Requirement
Do I have to be a U.S. citizen? What if members of my household are undocumented immigrants?
No, you do not need to be a U.S. citizen to be eligible. We do not track citizen or immigration status for you or any member of your household.
Privacy & Confidentiality
How will you ensure that my private information remains secure and confidential? Will my name show up on any sort of government list? Will I be signed up for other government programs? Will you share or sell my information to anyone else?
The Hotline and the counselors will not sell nor share your personally identifiable information with any other government, public, or private entity. Applications for federal HAF funding are private and secure, but some limited information may be subject to public records requests. Throughout the process, you should never be asked to provide citizenship or immigration status for you or any member of your household.
General
What is the HAF program? Who is it for?
The Washington State Homeowner Assistance Fund provides individual support and federal relief funds—up to $60,000 per household—to qualified Washington homeowners behind on their mortgage due to pandemic hardship.
I’ve seen some confusing information about the HAF program online and in social media. How can I tell what is true and accurate?
Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation on the internet about this program, especially from scammers who hope to get access to HAF funding. Also, HAF programs in other states have different guidelines and funding limits than the Washington HAF. Call the Homeownership Hotline at 1-877‐894‐4663 to get help and accurate information that is specific to Washington state homeowners.
Where does the money come from?
HAF funds come from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) passed by Congress in 2021.
How do I get help?
Help is available now through the Washington Homeownership Hotline at 1-877‐894‐4663.
What kind of help does the program offer?
HAF connects you with a housing counselor who provides free and confidential support and can assist you with many options to prevent foreclosure, including access to federal funds if needed. Call the Hotline at 1-877‐894‐4663 for a no-cost assessment and referral to a housing counselor in your area.
How much money can I get?
Homeowners may be eligible for grants of up to $60,000, depending on their situation. A housing counselor will help you assess your needs and apply.
Who is the Washington State Housing Finance Commission (WSHFC)?
We are a self-supporting state agency, dedicated to increasing housing access and affordability for the people of Washington since 1983. The Commission administers the federal HAF program for our state and oversees a statewide network of nonprofit housing counseling agencies.
Hotline
When is the Hotline open?
Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PST. If you call after hours, leave a message and a Hotline representative will return your call. Or request a call back using the form above.
Is help available in languages besides English?
Yes! The Hotline’s help is available in over 220 languages.
Who are the housing counselors and why should I trust them?
For many years, housing counselors have been an important part of Washington state’s network of nonprofit organizations dedicated to supporting homeowners with free, unbiased assistance. Their job is to advocate for you, help find solutions to keep you in your home, and ensure the best possible outcome for your situation.
Our nonprofit housing counseling partners:
- Parkview Services
- OIC of Washington
- SNAP (Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners)
- American Financial Solutions (AFS)
- Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
- El Centro de la Raza
- Northwest Justice Project
Application Process
How do I apply? Will someone help me with the application?
Call the Washington Homeownership Hotline now at 1-877‐894‐4663. A housing counselor will support you every step of the way, including with the HAF application.
Does it cost anything to apply?
No. The program and the application are completely free.
What type of materials are needed for the application process?
You’ll need a variety of documents related to your home loan and finances. A housing counselor will help you determine what you need depending on your circumstances.
Can I apply to the HAF myself?
Yes, if you are seeking less than $15,000 in total assistance and feel comfortable applying on your own, you can apply here. However, we strongly encourage you to contact the Hotline at 1-877‐894‐4663 to obtain the aid of a housing counselor. A housing counselor can assist you with your application and ensure you are properly evaluated for all potential assistance programs, including accessing the maximum HAF program benefits.
Funding & Eligibility
Who can apply for funding? How do I find out if I’m eligible?
Any Washington homeowner can get support through the Hotline. Eligibility for HAF funding is based upon a variety of factors, including pandemic hardship. When you call the Hotline at 1-877‐894‐4663, a housing counselor will help you determine what assistance will be most helpful to you.
What is “pandemic hardship?”
The HAF program will take into account a range of experiences that will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Call the Hotline at 1-877‐894‐4663 so we can assist you with the process and get you the best outcome possible.
Do I need to live at the property I own to receive assistance? What if I own a rental property or second home?
Yes, you must live at the property, and it must have no more than four (4) units. But you should still call the Hotline at 1-877‐894‐4663 to see if other assistance is available for you.
If I have a COVID-19 loan modification, am I eligible?
A loan modification does not disqualify you from being eligible for assistance. Call the Hotline at 1-877‐894‐4663 and a counselor will help you determine your eligibility.
Can the program cover future mortgage payments?
No. The Washington HAF program can bring you current on your house-related bills and try to negotiate more affordable mortgage payments going forward, but it does not provide funds for future mortgage payments.
I lost my home to foreclosure recently and I didn’t know about this program. Is it too late? Can I still apply for these funds retroactively?
Unfortunately, homeowners who are already post-foreclosure are not eligible for the HAF program. We still encourage you to call the Hotline at 1-877‐894‐4663 to begin building your path back to future homeownership.
Funding Distribution
Are funds available right now?
Funds are available now. Whatever your situation, you should call the Hotline at 1-877‐894‐4663 now to start the process.
What can I use the funds for?
HAF funds can cover things such as mortgage reinstatement, delinquent home-related insurance, delinquent homeowner’s/condo association fees and delinquent property taxes, as well as assist with loan modifications.
How will I get the money if I qualify?
You will not receive any direct payments. If you qualify for financial assistance, the program will issue payments to the entities to whom you owe money, such as banks, insurance companies, tax collectors, homeowners associations, etc.
Is this a loan? Will I have to pay the money back?
No, HAF assistance is not a loan. Funds would be issued to your creditors to resolve your financial hardship.
How long after I apply will it take for the money be distributed?
It depends on a variety of factors. The sooner you call the Hotline at 1-877‐894‐4663, the sooner we can help you.
I’m already in foreclosure. Will the money arrive in time to stop the bank from taking my home?
It may not be too late. The sooner you call the Hotline at 1-877‐894‐4663, the more likely it is we can help you save your home.
Spread the Word
I would like to share information about this program. Do you have materials I can use?
Please do not hesitate to refer people to the Hotline at 1-877-894-4663. A printable version of this FAQ as well as flyers and shareable social media graphics are available for you to download in the Outreach Kit section below.
HAF Outreach Kit
Click the links below to download shareable social media graphics, flyers, and an FAQ.
English Language:
- FAQ (ADA Compliant) [pdf]
- Infographic – ‘What to Expect’ [jpg]
- Flyers [zip]
- Social Media Graphics [zip]
- WhatsApp Sample Messages [pdf]
Other Languages:
- HAF Outreach Kit – Spanish [zip]
- HAF Outreach Kit – Chinese (Simplified) [zip]
- HAF Outreach Kit – Vietnamese [zip]
- HAF Outreach Kit – Somali [zip]
Beware of scams!
Don’t pay anyone who offers to help you for a fee. Washington HAF is the only program authorized to distribute HAF funds in Washington state. Call 1-877‐894‐4663.
About Us
This program or project is supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number HAF0025 awarded to the Washington State Housing Finance Commission by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
While the HAF funds originate from the U.S. Department of the Treasury as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Washington State Housing Finance Commission is administering the program for Washington state.
The Commission is a publicly accountable, self-supporting team, dedicated to increasing housing access and affordability and to expanding the availability of quality community services for the people of Washington. For more information, visit the Commission’s website at www.wshfc.org.
