Freddie Mac: Disaster Relief Policies for Homeowners Affected by Spring Flooding
Investor Update
March 27, 2019
Source: Freddie Mac
MCLEAN, Va., March 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC) today reminded mortgage servicers of its disaster relief policies for borrowers who have been affected by the spring flooding in the Midwest. Freddie Mac’s disaster relief options are available to borrowers whose homes or places of employment are located in presidentially-declared Major Disaster Areas where federal individual assistance programs are made available to affected individuals and households.
In areas where the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has not yet made individual assistance available, mortgage servicers may immediately leverage Freddie Mac’s short-term forbearance programs to provide mortgage relief to their borrowers that have been affected by the flooding.
“We stand ready to ensure mortgage relief is made available to those affected by the spring season floods,” said Yvette Gilmore, Freddie Mac’s Vice President of Single-Family Servicer Performance Management. “Once safely out of harm’s way, we strongly encourage homeowners whose homes or places of employment have been impacted by the flooding to call their mortgage servicer—the company to which borrowers send their monthly mortgage payments—to learn about available relief options.”
News Facts:
•Freddie Mac Single-Family disaster relief policies authorize mortgage servicers to help affected borrowers in eligible disaster areas: those federally-declared Major Disaster Areas where federal individual assistance programs have been extended. A list of these areas can be found on the FEMA’s website.
•Freddie Mac mortgage relief options for affected borrowers in eligible disaster areas include:
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- Suspending foreclosures by providing forbearance for up to 12 months;
- Waiving assessments of penalties or late fees against borrowers with disaster-damaged homes; and
- Not reporting forbearance or delinquencies caused by the disaster to the nation’s credit bureaus.
•Freddie Mac is reminding Single-Family servicers to consider borrowers who are impacted by the flooding, but who live and work outside of an eligible disaster area, for Freddie Mac’s standard relief policies, which include forbearance and mortgage modifications.
•Affected borrowers should immediately contact their mortgage servicer—the company to which they send their monthly mortgage payment.
•See http://www.freddiemac.com/singlefamily/service/natural_disasters.html for a description of Freddie Mac’s Single-Family disaster relief policies.
Freddie Mac makes home possible for millions of families and individuals by providing mortgage capital to lenders. Since our creation by Congress in 1970, we’ve made housing more accessible and affordable for homebuyers and renters in communities nationwide. We are building a better housing finance system for homebuyers, renters, lenders, investors and taxpayers. Learn more at FreddieMac.com, @FreddieMacand Freddie Mac’s blog.
MEDIA CONTACT: Chad Wandler
703-903-3974
Chad_Wandler@FreddieMac.com
