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SBA, Treasury release PPP loan forgiveness application
On May 15, the Small Business Administration (SBA) in consultation with the Treasury Department announced the release of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Forgiveness Application that borrowers must complete in order to have their loans forgiven at the conclusion of the eight-week covered period, which begins upon loan disbursement. The application provides specific instructions, including several measures designed to reduce compliance burdens and simplify the process. These include: (i) “[o]ptions for borrowers to calculate payroll costs using an ‘alternative payroll covered period’ that aligns with borrowers’ regular payroll cycles”; (ii) the flexibility to count any eligible payroll and non-payroll expenses paid or incurred during the eight-week period after the disbursement of a borrower’s PPP loan; (iii) clear instructions on how to perform calculations to confirm eligibility for loan forgiveness as required by the CARES Act; (iv) a safe harbor from forgiveness reduction for borrowers that were able to rehire employees by June 30; and (v) the addition of a new exemption from forgiveness reduction “for borrowers who have made a good-faith, written offer to rehire workers that was declined[.]” The SBA announced it “will also soon issue regulations and guidance to further assist borrowers as they complete their applications, and to provide lenders with guidance on their responsibilities.”
CFPB, CSBS issue consumer guide on CARES Act mortgage relief option
On May 15, the CFPB and Conference of State Bank Supervisors jointly issued a Consumer Relief Guide to provide information to homeowners with federally-backed mortgage loans regarding their rights to relief under the CARES Act. The Guide outlines steps for requesting forbearance and provides additional resources for borrowers who need assistance when understanding their options or working with their mortgage servicers. The Bureau also refers borrowers to its centralized webpage, which covers consumer financial resources for the Covid-19 pandemic (covered by InfoBytes here), as well as its joint housing assistance website launched in coordination with the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (covered by InfoBytes here).
New York regulator updates Covid-19 resource page for consumers and small businesses
The New York Department of Financial Services has updated its resource page providing information for consumers and small businesses relating to Covid-19. The resource page provides information on, among other things, deferrals of insurance premium payments, the federal CARES Act legislation, and essential businesses guidance and FAQs.
Fannie Mae updates guidance on payment deferrals and loan modifications after a forbearance and extends foreclosure moratorium
On May 14, Fannie Mae updated Lender Letter 2020-02 to provide updates regarding the reclassification process for certain pooled loans in response to the CARES Act. The letter (previously discussed here) also provides guidance on evaluating a borrower for a payment deferral or mortgage loan modification after a forbearance and extend its foreclosure moratorium until June 30. The guidance on post-forbearance evaluations provides certain flexibility with respect to achieving quality right party contact (QRPC). Fannie Mae has eliminated the requirement that the servicer determine the occupancy status of the property and will consider the servicer as having achieved QRPC for purposes of evaluating a borrower who has experienced a hardship arising from Covid-19 if the servicer takes certain steps. Fannie Mae also extended the availability of certain post-disaster mortgage loan modifications in the Servicing Guide to borrowers impacted by Covid-19. The letter also extends Fannie Mae’s suspension of foreclosure-related activities until June 30.
FHA issues mortgagee letter on extension of foreclosure and eviction moratoriums
On May 14, FHA issued Mortgagee Letter 2020-13, which extends the foreclosure and eviction moratorium in connection with the Covid-19 emergency and issues new reporting requirements related to FHA single family’s CARES Act loss mitigation options. The foreclosure moratorium is extended to June 30, 2020, and applies to FHA-insured single family mortgages, except vacant or abandoned properties. The moratorium on evictions of persons from properties securing FHA-insured single family mortgages, excluding actions to evict occupants of legally vacant or abandoned properties, is also extended for the same period. The bulletin also provides guidance on how mortgagees must report the Default/Delinquency Reason Codes that apply to the borrower at the end of each reporting cycle. The mortgagee must update the code as the borrower’s circumstances change.
Michigan regulator encourages financial institutions to avoid offsetting CARES Act stimulus payments
On May 14, the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services issued a bulletin “strongly” urging Michigan financial institutions not to access CARES Act stimulus payments to satisfy overdrafts or to exercise any right of offset against the funds without the agreement of the customer or member. The regulator also “strongly” urged financial institutions not to use CARES Act stimulus payments for ATM, late payment, overdraft, or other fees.
SBA issues IFR extending PPP Safe Harbor
The Small Business Administration (SBA) recently issued an interim final rule (IFR) to supplement the CARES Act and extend the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) safe harbor for repayment from May 7 to May 14. Borrowers who received a PPP loan prior to April 24 but determined that the funds were “obtained based on a misunderstanding or misapplication of the required certification standard” will be deemed by the SBA to have made the borrower certification on a loan application in good faith if they repay the loans in full by May 14. Additional guidance on the safe harbor extension is forthcoming. (The SBA first announced the repayment extension last week in updated Frequently Asked Questions, covered by InfoBytes here.) Due to the safe harbor extension, the IFR also extends the deadline to May 22 for PPP lenders to file yet-to-be released Form 1502 in order to receive their lender processing fees. As previously covered by InfoBytes, the SBA stated that PPP lenders must disburse each loan and submit SBA Form 1502 within 20 days of loan approval. The IFR takes effect upon publication in the Federal Register, with comments due within 30 days.
Fannie and Freddie offer new Covid-19 payment deferral
On May 13, the FHFA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, announced a new Covid-19 payment deferral option that will be available starting on July 1. According to Fannie Mae Lender Letter LL-2020-07 and Freddie Mac Bulletin 2020-15, the new Covid-19 payment deferral is “a new workout option specifically designed to help borrowers impacted by a hardship related to Covid-19 return their mortgage to a current status after up to 12 months of missed payments.”
The new option is for borrowers who (i) are on a Covid-19 related forbearance plan, or (ii) have a resolved financial hardship due to Covid-19. Specifically, the servicer is required to confirm that the borrower is now able to continue making the full monthly contractual payment of their loan but is unable to reinstate the mortgage loan or afford a repayment plan to cure the previous delinquency. If a borrower is eligible for the Covid-19 payment deferral, the servicer must allow the borrower to resume their contractual monthly payments; however, the delinquency amount (which includes up to 12 months of past-due principal and interest payments; out-of-pocket escrow advances paid to third parties; and servicing advances paid to third parties in the ordinary course of business) must be deferred as a non-interest bearing balance, due and payable at liquidation, refinance, or maturity. Among other requirements detailed by the Lender Letter and Bulletin, servicers must report the loan in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, as amended by the CARES Act, which requires lenders to report as current any loans subject to Covid-19 forbearance or other accommodation. Additionally, servicers must waive all late charges, penalties, and fees upon completing the Covid-19 payment deferral.
In addition to the new Covid-19 payment deferral, borrowers will continue to have other hardship options including repayment plans, lump-sum repayment, or permanent modification. Servicers must begin evaluating borrowers for the Covid-19 payment deferral beginning July 1.
Federal regulators discuss Covid-19 responses during Senate hearing
On May 12, the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs held a hearing entitled “Oversight of the Financial Regulators,” which primarily focused on responses by the Federal Reserve Board (Fed), FDIC, OCC, and NCUA to the Covid-19 pandemic. Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID) opened the hearing by thanking the regulators for crafting regulatory responses to assist financial institutions in meeting the needs of affected borrowers, and encouraged the regulators to find ways to provide flexibility for financial institutions that lend to households and businesses. Crapo also stressed the importance of making sure the Fed’s Main Street Lending Program (covered by a Buckley Special Alert) and the Municipal Liquidity Facility (coved by InfoBytes here) are “up and running quickly,” and expressed continued concerns that the “inclusion of population thresholds for cities and states that were not a part of the CARES Act will still impede access to smaller and rural communities.” Ranking Member Sherrod Brown (D-OH) argued, however, that the regulators’ relief measures have not favored consumers.
Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Randal K. Quarles provided an update on the Fed’s Covid-19 regulatory and supervisory efforts. When asked during the hearing when the Main Street Lending Program would be operational, he declined to give an exact date but emphasized it is the Fed’s “top priority,” and that he did not anticipate it will take months. When questioned about whether the Fed is taking measures to “ensure businesses are getting equitable access to the [lending] facilities,” Quarles stated that the Fed relies on banks to do the underwriting, but will supervise the banks to make sure the underwriting is done “safely and fairly.”
OCC Comptroller Joseph M. Otting also discussed a range of actions taken by the agency in response to the pandemic and outlined additional OCC priorities and objectives, including its proposal to modernize the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). Senator Menendez (D-NJ) asked whether the OCC should revisit the proposed CRA rewrite, citing the inability of some small businesses—particularly minority-owned businesses—to obtain relief under the Payroll Protection Program (PPP). In response, Otting argued that the rewrite (done in conjunction with the FDIC—see InfoBytes CRA coverage here) should actually be accelerated “because it will drive more dollars into low and moderate income communities” impacted by the pandemic. However, several Democrats on the Committee disagreed and called for a separate hearing to discuss the CRA proposal.
FDIC Chairman Jelena McWilliams also addressed actions undertaken to maintain stability and to provide flexibility to both banks and consumers. Among other things, McWilliams stated that banks should rely on borrowers’ statements certifying that their economic need is legitimate when making PPP loans. “Our instruction to banks has been to make sure these loans are not being traditionally underwritten [and] to take a look at the certification that the borrower is providing,” McWilliams said during the hearing. She also emphasized that all banks must comply with fair lending laws when making PPP loans, whether or not specific guidance has been issued.
NCUA Chairman Rodney E. Hood also outlined agency measures in response to the pandemic. Among other things, Hood noted that the NCUA has issued guidance to support credit union industry participation in the PPP and approved several regulatory changes concerning the classification of PPP loans for regulatory capital and commercial underwriting purposes.
The following day, the House Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions also held a roundtable with the federal regulators to discuss Covid-19 responses.
Federal agencies launch joint housing assistance website
On May 12, the CFPB, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a new mortgage and housing assistance website, which consolidates the CARES Act mortgage and rent relief protections, tips to avoid Covid-19 related scams, and tools for homeowners and renters to determine if their property is federally backed. The release details the steps the CFPB has taken in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, including informing consumers of their protections under newly created programs and releasing a policy statement concerning the responsibilities of credit reporting companies and furnishers. The release also outlines efforts that FHFA’s regulated entities and HUD have taken to address the national emergency, including forbearance options for homeowners and eviction protections for renters who live in multifamily properties that are backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.