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HUD announces Alaska and Tennessee disaster relief

Federal Issues HUD Consumer Finance Mortgages Disaster Relief Tennessee Alaska

Federal Issues

On January 19, HUD announced disaster assistance for certain areas in Alaska and Tennessee impacted by severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides, mudslides, and tornados. (See here and here.) The disaster assistance follows President Biden’s major disaster declarations on January 14 and 15. According to the announcements, HUD is providing an automatic 90-day moratorium on foreclosures of FHA-insured home mortgages for covered properties and is making FHA insurance available to victims whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged, such that “reconstruction or replacement is necessary.” HUD’s Section 203(k) loan program allows individuals who have lost homes to finance the purchase of a house or refinance an existing house along with the costs of repair, through a single mortgage. The program also allows homeowners with damaged property to finance the rehabilitation of existing single-family homes. Furthermore, HUD is allowing applications for administrative flexibilities and waivers for community planning and development grantees and public housing authorities. For Alaska specifically, flexibilities and waivers are extended to tribes and tribally designated housing entities.