Behind on Your Mortgage and Need Home Repairs

Last updated: July 27, 2026

Being behind does not automatically block every repair program, but it can make approval harder. Work on two tracks at once: mortgage loss mitigation for the past-due loan, and repair assistance for the home. Repair help may be a grant, deferred or forgivable loan, low-interest loan, service, insurance benefit, disaster payment, or volunteer repair.

Take These Three Steps Now

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says a servicer generally cannot make the first foreclosure notice or filing until a borrower is more than 120 days delinquent. Do not treat that as a waiting period. State procedures and individual cases vary, and earlier complete applications may provide more protection. Use the CFPB foreclosure guide.

How Mortgage Delinquency Affects Repair Help

Repair programs may check the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, title, foreclosure status, and whether every owner can sign. Do not hide the delinquency. Ask whether an approved repayment plan, forbearance, modification review, bankruptcy plan, or other loss mitigation process is acceptable. A servicer letter may help, but local rules control.

Repair aid that uses a deferred or forgivable loan may place a lien on the property. The program may need your mortgage lender to approve a second lien, subordination, or closing document. A delinquent first mortgage can delay or stop that process. Read our guide to repair liens and recapture before signing.

Mortgage Help Is Separate From Repair Help

Loss mitigation is a servicer service, not a repair grant. Depending on the loan and hardship, options may include a repayment plan, forbearance, modification, payment deferral, partial claim, or another home-retention option. Forbearance usually delays or reduces payments; it does not normally erase them. Ask in writing about the new payment, past-due balance, interest or fees, and what happens at sale or refinance.

Check the owner or insurer of the loan

Homeowner Assistance Fund in 2026

The federal Homeowner Assistance Fund, called HAF, sent money to states, territories, Tribes, and Tribal housing entities. Depending on the local plan, HAF may pay past-due mortgage costs, taxes, insurance, utilities, association fees, and certain repairs. It is usually direct assistance rather than a new consumer loan, but local program terms control.

The federal HAF award period ends September 30, 2026. Local programs may close earlier, stop taking applications, use a waitlist, or have only limited money left. Check the Treasury HAF page immediately. Do not delay other mortgage help while waiting for HAF.

When to add legal or complaint help

Contact a lawyer quickly if a foreclosure sale is set, you received court papers, ownership is disputed, a spouse or co-owner died, a tax sale is involved, or the servicer says it lost a complete application. Use the legal aid finder for an LSC-funded office.

If the servicer does not correct an account error, gives conflicting instructions, or repeatedly loses documents, keep a written log and use the CFPB complaint portal. The CFPB phone number is 855-411-2372. A complaint is not a substitute for meeting a foreclosure deadline.

Repair Help You Can Pursue While Behind

Start with the repair problem and your address, not only the word “grant.” The main home repair help guide explains common program types. The options below are the strongest national starting points, but most final decisions are local.

City and county repair programs

Type of help: grant, deferred loan, forgivable loan, low-interest loan, or repair service.

Local governments and nonprofit contractors may use HUD Community Development Block Grant or HOME funds for owner-occupied rehabilitation, emergency repair, code correction, accessibility work, lead hazards, roofs, plumbing, electrical systems, or heating. Homeowners usually apply locally, not to HUD.

Use the HUD CDBG overview, then call your city or county housing or community development department. Ask for owner-occupied rehab, emergency home repair, housing preservation, or critical repair. Our CDBG and HOME guide explains how to find the intake office.

Reality check: Programs may require a current mortgage or accept proof of a servicer plan. Taxes, insurance, title, value limits, inspections, bids, permits, liens, and available funding may also control approval.

USDA Section 504 rural repair help

Type of help: low-interest loan or limited grant.

USDA Section 504 serves eligible very-low-income rural homeowners who cannot obtain affordable credit elsewhere. Loans may be up to $40,000 at 1% for up to 20 years. Eligible homeowners age 62 or older may receive up to $10,000 in grant help to remove health and safety hazards. A grant is generally repaid if the home is sold within three years.

Check the USDA repair facts and contact the Rural Development office that serves your state. Applications are generally accepted year-round, but approval depends on eligibility, repayment ability for a loan, local funding, and the repair scope. See our Section 504 guide before applying.

Reality check: Being behind on a mortgage can affect credit review, debt obligations, title, or the ability to protect USDA’s interest. It is not wise to promise approval. Tell USDA about the delinquency and any active servicer plan at the start.

Weatherization and energy crisis help

Type of help: no-cost service, utility assistance, or limited energy-related repair.

State and local weatherization agencies may provide an energy audit, insulation, air sealing, ventilation, safety testing, heating or cooling work, water-heater measures, and limited repairs needed for the energy work. DOE generally uses a limit at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, though approved state rules may differ.

Use the weatherization application guide. Also ask the local Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program whether crisis funds can help with a shutoff, heating emergency, furnace, or another minor energy-related repair. Find contacts through the LIHEAP contact map or call 866-674-6327.

Reality check: Weatherization may defer a home with major roof failure, severe moisture, unsafe wiring, structural damage, pests, or other conditions that prevent safe work. Ask for the deferral reason in writing and whether a smaller repair program can clear it.

Nonprofit and volunteer repair

Type of help: volunteer service, donated labor or materials, cost-sharing, or an affordable loan.

Call 211 and ask for critical home repair, emergency repair, senior repair, disability modification, and volunteer repair in your ZIP code. The 211 housing page is a referral service, not the repair fund itself.

Use the Rebuilding Together finder for local affiliate programs. Habitat for Humanity’s home preservation program may provide minor repairs or weatherization, but local Habitat help may use an affordable loan or repayment agreement. It is not automatically a free grant.

Reality check: Affiliates decide their service areas, homeowner rules, repair limits, waiting lists, and whether they are accepting applications. Volunteer groups may not handle emergencies, full roof replacement, major structural work, or homes at immediate risk of foreclosure.

Insurance and declared disasters

Type of help: insurance benefit, FEMA assistance, or repayable SBA disaster loan.

For sudden damage such as wind, fire, or a burst pipe, call the insurer before permanent work. Take photos, prevent further damage when safe, keep receipts, and ask what emergency work is allowed. Policy wording and state law control coverage.

After a federally declared disaster, apply through DisasterAssistance.gov. FEMA help may contribute to making a damaged primary home safe, sanitary, and functional, but it does not restore every loss and cannot duplicate insurance. An SBA disaster loan may finance larger repairs. It is a loan that must be repaid, even though it is offered by a government agency.

Reality check: Disaster deadlines can be short. Mortgage delinquency does not remove the need to report the claim, contact the servicer, and apply by the disaster deadline. Ask how insurance checks will be handled if the mortgage company is named on the payment.

Ask These Questions Before Applying

• Is an applicant allowed to be behind on the mortgage?
• Will an approved forbearance, repayment plan, or modification review satisfy the rule?
• Is the help a grant, service, loan, deferred loan, or forgivable loan?
• Will the program record a lien, and when would repayment be due?
• Does the first mortgage holder need to approve or subordinate?
• Can I choose the contractor, or does the program bid the work?
• May any work start before written approval?
• Is the program open now, and is there a waiting list?
• Does the program give priority to emergency health and safety repairs?

Use our local program search guide to check city, county, state, Community Action, aging, disability, Tribal, and nonprofit routes without relying on paid lead forms.

Documents to Gather

Keep the mortgage and repair papers together. A complete file can reduce delays and help a counselor or lawyer understand the case.

• Latest mortgage statement and payment history
• Past-due, breach, foreclosure, court, or sale notices
• Loss mitigation application, acknowledgment letters, and servicer decisions
• Deed, manufactured-home title, tax bill, or other ownership proof
• Photo ID and proof that the home is your main residence
• Income proof for every required household member
• Recent bank statements if the program requests them
• Property tax, homeowners insurance, and association statements
• Photos of the repair and any code, utility, or health notice
• Contractor estimates only if the program asks for them
• Insurance claim, adjuster letter, FEMA number, or disaster documents
• Death certificate, probate papers, divorce order, trust, or power of attorney if ownership is complicated

The repair document checklist covers common proof and hard-to-document ownership situations. Do not send original documents unless an agency specifically requires and safely handles them.

What Happens After You Apply

A real program rarely pays immediately. The path may include income, ownership, mortgage, tax, and insurance review; inspection; repair scope; environmental or lead review; bids; underwriting; written approval; permits; construction inspections; and direct contractor payment. A project may be limited or denied if costs exceed the cap, title is unclear, foreclosure is active, or unsafe conditions prevent the planned work.

Follow the steps in our repair application guide. Keep a call log with the date, name, direct number, documents sent, and next deadline. Send important servicer papers by a method that creates proof of delivery.

If You Are Denied or Delayed

Ask for the reason in writing. The next move depends on the problem.

Do not let a repair denial distract you from a mortgage deadline. Continue the servicer application, housing counseling, and legal response while seeking another repair source. For a broad starting list, use where to start.

Avoid Scams and Unsafe Financing

CFPB warns that foreclosure scammers may charge upfront, promise guaranteed results, tell borrowers to stop paying, or ask them to sign over title. Free help is available through the servicer and HUD-approved counseling. Review safer repair financing and the guide to fake grant offers.

A repair loan may be reasonable only if the payment is affordable after the mortgage problem is resolved. Before adding debt secured by the home, ask a HUD counselor, legal aid lawyer, or trusted nonprofit financial counselor to review the full agreement. A roof repair should not become the reason you lose the house.

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