May 13, 2020

Wyden Welcomes New National Housing Assistance Website to Help Renters, Homeowners Apply for Relief, Learn About New Protections to Keep Them in Their Homes

Wyden, Senators Had Called For This Comprehensive Housing Resource Guide

 

Washington, DC – Following calls from U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and colleagues for a comprehensive resource guide to help renters and homeowners during the coronavirus pandemic, the federal government has launched a new website to provide information about all the resources and assistance available.

The single website provided by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) details new housing-related policies, benefits, and protections established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

On April 1, Wyden was one of 20 senators calling on the relevant government agencies to collaborate and create this new website.

“Oregonians working hard to make their mortgage or pay their rent need a one-stop site that helps them get quick and easy access to all available resources supporting them to remain safe in their homes,” Wyden said. “Much more needs to be done to help renters and homeowners during COVID-19 but this new website takes a good step in the right direction.”

Previously, each federal agency maintained its own individual resource websites, forcing people to navigate multiple pages to find information about the protections and benefits they need. This new website consolidates information about CARES Act programs, including mortgage relief, protections for renters, resources for additional help, and information on how to avoid coronavirus-related scams. It also provides search tools for homeowners to help determine if their mortgage is federally backed, and for renters to find out if their rental unit is federally financed. 

The website will be continuously updated to reflect the most recent information and to help answer frequently asked questions.

In addition to Wyden, other senators signing the April letter led by U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) were U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.).

A copy of the April letter calling for the creation of the comprehensive guide is here.

The new comprehensive national housing assistance guide is here.