Hamilton County Mortgage & Utility Relief Program

Hamilton County Commissioners are providing $5 million to help eligible homeowners with mortgage and/or utility payments in order to avoid foreclosure and shutoffs. The Hamilton County Mortgage & Utility Program helps residents who have experienced financial hardships due to COVID‐19 if their household meets certain criteria.

Eligibility

Residents would be eligible to receive mortgage and utility assistance if their household meets the following criteria:

  • Experienced a decrease in income/employment due to the COVID-19 public health emergency
  • Household earns up to 80% AMI (area median income)*
Number of People in Household 1 2 3 4 5 6
Max Income 80% of Area Median Income  $47,850 $54,650 $61,500 $68,300 $73,800 $79,250
Number of People in Household Max Income 80% of Area Median Income 
1 $47,850
2 $54,650
3 $61,500
4 $68,300
5 $73,800
6 $79,250

*Income includes unemployment income.

  • Owner-Occupied residence is in Hamilton County, Ohio
  • Proof of mortgage and/or utility payment is past due
  • Must have established connection to residence and be the applicant’s primary residence (second homes, rental properties, AirB&B, and other similar type rentals are not eligible for assistance)

Assistance

Mortgage Assistance
  • Payments may be used for:
    • current delinquent mortgage payment; and
    • the number of applicable past due mortgage payments (up to 6 months) sating back to March 1, 2020.
  • Payments will be made to mortgage servicers.
  • The applicant will need to secure a vendor registration form from their mortgage holder so that payment can be issued directly ‐ https://www.hamiltoncountyauditor.org/pdf/Finance/vendorregform.pdf
Utility Assistance
  • The Hamilton County Mortgage & Utility Relief Funds may also be used to pay delinquent utility bills dating back to March 1, 2020, (up to 6 months), and/or up to 3 months of future utility bills incurred by applicant.
  • Payments will be made to the utility company.

Apply

  https://erap.hcjfs.org (apply for Mortgage and Utility Relief under the tenant link and write “Mortgage” in the text box)

  [email protected]

  Call HCJFS at (513) 946‐7200 between 10 am – 2pm or call the United Way’s 211 for assistance with the application process if you are experiencing difficulty with the online application.

Next Steps

If eligible, the client will need to provide documentation:

  • Proof of past due mortgage and/or utility payments which arose subsequent to March 1, 2020, and which were due to COVID-19 or its negative economic impacts.
  • Proof of an established connection to residence.
  • Proof of documentable decrease in income due to the COVID-19 public health emergency (must provide unemployment letter; furlough letter; check stubs noting decrease of hours or wages; letter from employer showing reduction in hours/wages due to COVID-19; or other documentation showing a reduction in income due to COVID-19).
  • Self-attest that applicant does not have the present ability to pay any past due mortgage payments and/or utilities.