The moratorium pauses the initiation and completion of foreclosure actions for 90 days beginning on the President’s major-disaster declaration date for FHA‑insured forward mortgages (properties located in the Presidentially‑Declared Major Disaster Area). It also covers FHA‑insured borrowers under HUD’s Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee program and includes an automatic 90‑day extension for Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs). Eligible borrowers are owners whose mortgage is FHA‑insured (including Section 184 borrowers) and whose property (or place of employment) is within the declared disaster area; affected homeowners should contact their mortgage/loan servicer immediately and may call the FHA Resource Center for help.
Section 203(h) is mortgage insurance for disaster victims whose homes were destroyed or substantially damaged in a Presidentially‑declared disaster — it provides 100% financing (no down payment) to buy or rebuild a one‑family principal residence. Section 203(k) is FHA rehabilitation mortgage insurance (Standard and Limited options) that lets a borrower buy or refinance and include the cost of repairs/rehabilitation in a single mortgage. To apply, borrowers must work with an FHA‑approved lender (use HUD’s searchable lender lists), and the borrower’s 203(h) application must be submitted within one year of the President’s declaration; for either program contact an FHA‑approved lender or the FHA Resource Center and consider a HUD‑approved housing counselor for help.
Grantees (CDBG, HOPWA, CoC, ESG, HOME, HTF) should contact their local HUD Community Planning and Development (CPD) field office to request waivers or suspensions of program requirements under the Major Disaster Declaration (DR‑4899). Requests are made to the CPD field office (the press notice and HUD Exchange explain what flexibilities are available); tribes/TDHEs contact their Area Office of Native American Programs for regulatory waiver relief. Keep records of the request and follow any CPD instructions for documentation and timelines.
The Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee provides FHA‑insured guarantees for mortgages to Native American and Alaska Native borrowers (or eligible tribal entities) so lenders can offer home purchase, refinance, or rehabilitation loans. Borrowers qualify if they are American Indian/Alaska Native or members of a tribe, and the loan is for an eligible property and borrower meeting program rules; during the Mississippi disaster HUD applied the same 90‑day foreclosure moratorium protections to Section 184‑insured loans. For details or to apply contact the Section 184 program at Section184@hud.gov or an Area Office of Native American Programs.
HUD‑approved housing counseling agencies offer immediate, free foreclosure‑prevention and disaster counseling (no fee for foreclosure prevention counseling). After contact, counselors will assess needs, identify available relief (e.g., servicer options, FHA programs), and help with paperwork; timelines vary by case but the HUD press release emphasizes contacting servicers and counselors immediately because the moratorium and program windows (e.g., 203(h) one‑year application window) are tied to the President’s declaration date. Housing discrimination complaints to HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity must be filed within one year of the last discriminatory act; complaints can be filed by phone (1‑800‑669‑9777) or through HUD’s online portal.