No. The U.S. Department of the Treasury has provided a limited amount of funds to the State of Rhode Island. 

​HAF-RI can assist with a range of housing-related expenses including:

• Mortgage arrearages (past owed mortgage payments)
• Monthly mortgage payments (current mortgage payments)
• Principal reduction (reduction of original amount borrowed, known as mortgage principal)
• Property taxes, homeowner association fees, and condominium association fees
• Payment assistance for utilities, flood or mortgage insurance, and other housing-related expenses 

Homeowners may be eligible to receive up to $50,000 across all HAF-RI programs. 

If your delinquency amount is greater than the HAF-RI maximum amount of $50,000, that does not mean you are not eligible.

However, if the Maximum Per Household HAF-RI assistance is not sufficient to bring your mortgage current, eligible homeowners must provide the remainder of the funds or document an approved loss mitigation plan with their loan servicer regarding such shortfall, satisfactory to HAF-RI. If the applicant is unable to provide the additional funds needed or come to a loss mitigation agreement with his or her loan servicer regarding such a shortfall, the applicant is ineligible for HAF-RI assistance.

Yes. You may be eligible for assistance if your mortgage is in forbearance or in deferred payment status.

Yes.

If you are back at work, but still have outstanding housing related expenses, you may be eligible for assistance. You may also be eligible if you have returned to work but are earning less than you used to.

No.

You may qualify for assistance even if you are current on your mortgage if you meet the program eligibility requirements.

Yes. Bankruptcy does not make you ineligible for assistance. However, your lender/mortgage servicer will require approval from the bankruptcy court for you to participate in HAF-RI and receive assistance.

We recommend that you speak to your bankruptcy attorney about requesting permission from the court.

No.

Any Rhode Island homeowner who meets the eligibility requirements may receive assistance.

To receive utility assistance through HAF-RI, a homeowner must have experienced a COVID-related hardship and meet income qualifications.

If you are a homeowner seeking help for utility costs only, you may qualify for assistance under other programs such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
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A household member is someone who lives in your house the majority of the time. Household members include family members and other individuals living at the property. Household members may or may not be contributing to the household bills. It is essential that everyone in the household is included in the application because the program’s income limits vary according to household size.

In almost all cases, program assistance will be paid directly to your mortgage servicer, utility provider or other entity owed housing-related costs.

No. 

Net assets are not reviewed and will not impact whether you qualify for HAF-RI.

No. The U.S. Department of the Treasury has provided guidance indicating that assistance received through HAF is not considered taxable income for federal tax purposes. You should consult your tax professional with any questions or concerns.

Yes. The U.S. Department of the Treasury has stipulated that HAF funds must be distributed to homeowners using certain criteria such as, but not limited to, their income and if they are socially disadvantaged in any way. RIHousing prioritizes homeowners who are socially disadvantaged and homeowners who are facing foreclosure.

The U.S. Treasury defines “socially disadvantaged” as:

“Socially disadvantaged individuals are those whose ability to purchase or own a home has been impaired due to diminished access to credit on reasonable terms as compared to others in comparable economic circumstances, based on disparities in homeownership rates in the HAF participant’s jurisdiction as documented by the U.S. Census. The impairment must stem from circumstances beyond their control. Indicators of impairment under this definition may include being a (1) member of a group that has been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias within American society, (2) resident of a majority-minor Census tract; (3) individual 3 with limited English proficiency; (4) resident of a U.S. territory, Indian reservation, or Hawaiian Home Loan, or (5) individual who lives in a persistent-poverty county, meaning any county that has had 20% or more of its population living in poverty over the past 30 years as measured by the three most recent decennial censuses. In addition, an individual may be determined to be a socially disadvantaged individual in accordance with a process developed by a HAF participant for determining whether a homeowner is socially disadvantaged individual in accordance with applicable law, which may reasonably rely on self-attestations.”

Yes.

If you or someone in your household remain unemployed or underemployed, you may be eligible for future payments. A review of your application is necessary to determine the duration of assistance. If approved, you will be required to recertify your employment and financial situation every three months.

Yes.

You can apply for assistance if you experienced a new COVID-related hardship. Use your original log-in information to apply for additional assistance.

You should apply again only if you have experienced a new COVID-related hardship.

Your log-in is the email address you originally used to apply; if you forgot your password, you can request a password reset. If you are still having issues, contact HAF-RI at 401-457-1222.

HAF-RI has partnered with Tri-County Community Action.

For assistance with completing your application, contact a customer service representative at 401-583-0075 or the RIHousing HelpCenter at 401-450-1373. 

If you would like to appeal the decision of your HAF-RI application, please fill out the Decisions Appeal Form.  All appeals must be received within 30 calendar days of the decision. 

IMPORTANT: Please upload any documentation to support your appeal to the ‘Documents’ section of your application at www.haf-ri.com under ‘Underwriter Requested Documents.’