(SANTA ANA, Calif.) Orange County Treasurer Shari Freidenrich is notifying homeowners that the California Mortgage Relief Program is expanding delinquent property tax assistance coverage to include current-year delinquencies. Previously, the program had been limited to paying only delinquent taxes from prior years, however any delinquent current-year first-installments will now be covered as well. The California Mortgage Relief Program provides financial assistance to qualified homeowners to cover missed mortgage or property tax payments due to a “Qualified COVID-19 Financial Hardship” such as a material decrease in income or a material increase in living expenses including medical expenses.
“Orange County residents have certainly been feeling the effects of skyrocketing inflation in the post-Covid economy,” said Orange County Treasurer Shari L. Freidenrich. “The California Mortgage Relief Program is a tool available to aid qualified homeowners facing financial hardship, and I encourage those who may benefit from it to consider applying.”
Orange County homeowners that have a “Qualified Financial Hardship” are eligible for assistance through the program if their household income is at or below the county income limit (150% of Orange County’s Area Median Income (AMI), based on federal limits set for this program) and can check eligibility for other counties using the calculator available online at CaMortgageRelief.org. A full term sheet for the program can be found on the California Mortgage Relief website.
The California Mortgage Relief Program offers financial assistance structured as a non-recourse grant, which means repayment will not be required. “The good news is that homeowners who may have fallen behind have the opportunity to gain a little breathing room to get caught up,” said Freidenrich.
Eligible homeowners may apply for assistance multiple times and receive a maximum of $20,000 in delinquent property tax assistance. Eligible properties include owner-occupied single-family properties, condominium units, 1–4-unit properties which are owner-occupied, and permanently affixed mobile homes. Homeowners who have already received a grant from the California Mortgage Relief Program are still eligible for coverage, so long as they have not exceeded the total assistance limit. Applicants who had been previously denied may still qualify based on updated eligibility criteria. If you have missed at least one property tax payment by March 1, 2023, find out if you are eligible to apply for the California Mortgage Relief Program by visiting camortgagerelief.org. Scan the QR code below to see the fact sheet, and for application questions, call 1-888-840-2594.
