Foreclosure Counseling and Mortgage Assistance for Hennepin County Homeowners

Guest blog by Jesse Lindsey, Homeownership Preservation Assistant

Last week, Hennepin County launched the Hennepin County Homeownership Preservation Program (HHPP) as a pilot program and will become live to the public in early September. The program will provide mortgage counseling and assistance to homeowners living in most cities in Hennepin County. Bloomington, Eden Prairie, and Plymouth are facilitating independent mortgage assistance programs, so those are excluded from the County program.

The Hennepin Homeownership Preservation Program will provide homeowners experiencing hardship due to COVID-19 the unique opportunity to receive counseling from a foreclosure prevention advisor. The counseling will be provided by the following organizations:

• Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity
• Neighborworks Home Partners
• PRG Inc.
• Neighborhood Development Alliance
• LSS Financial Counseling
• Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES)

Eligible homeowners can also receive up to $35,000 in mortgage assistance to help pay for past-due homeownership expenses, such as:

• Delinquent mortgage principal and interest payments (if not eligible for long-term loss mitigation solution)
• Property taxes
• Homeowner’s insurance (including escrow shortages)
• Homeowner association dues
• Lot rent and manufactured home payment
• Contract for deed
• Garbage and water payments

Habitat homeowners are now eligible to participate in the pilot program. Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity homeowners living in Hennepin County who have experienced financial hardship due to COVID-19 between January 26, 2020, and 15 days after the HHPP start date are encouraged to apply. 

If you have questions or want to learn more about the program, contact Jesse Lindsey at (612) 305-7237 or Hassan Abdullahi at (612) 305-7147 at mfpp@tchabitat.org.