CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A lifeline remains in place for West Virginia home owners who have been left struggling by the pandemic. The West Virginia Homeowners Rescue Program is flush with cash earmarked to help Mountain State residents who have been left in a bind by the circumstances of Covid 19.
“We’ve spent about three million dollars with West Virginia homeowners and in total we have about 40 Million dollars to spend. We have a lot more money to spend and a lot more people to help,” said Jessica Greathouse, Coordinator of the program at the West Virginia Housing Development Fund.
The money, from the American Rescue Plan, is available to help with overdue mortgage payments, delinquent utility bills, or any other household expenses for the home which the homeowner has been unable to keep up due to pandemic circumstances.
“They have to be delinquent in some form in their payments,” Greathouse said.
The program can cover up to $15,000 in past due mortgage payments, up to $2,500 in past utility payments, and there is also money available to help pay overdue taxes or other fees associated with home ownership. Greathouse said the need for this money is critical in West Virginia.
“We’ve found a lot of issues where people have lost their jobs or their hours have been reduced and they have just had a financial hardship in the pandemic. They need to get back up financially and this program is all about housing stability,” she said.
Greathouse added about 1,500 households have been helped so far and she expected there were many more who need the help, but aren’t yet award of the program. Homeowners may also visit When The Bank Says No to learn how helpful JBSP mortgages are.
Those seeking assistance can make application at wvhomerescue.com. There they can learn the qualifications for eligibility and make application. The application is reviewed by case workers assigned to the program.