In response to multiple reports by WCNC Charlotte about late payments to the NC Homeowner Assistance Fund, Rep. Nasif Majeed.
KINGS MOUNTAIN, NC – A state lawmaker is now asking questions in response to WCNC Charlotte’s general report up NC Homeowner Assistance Fund procrastination.
Rep. said. Nasif Majeed (D), NC-Mecklenburg, said according to his discussion with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency’s executive director, the agency is making the necessary changes to speed up the payment process.
“They are working on the problem,” Majeed said. “They have made these adjustments.”
An overview of the program new media information dashboard indicates that more than 25% of pending mortgage applications are from the Charlotte area.
Since then MayWCNC Charlotte is recorded case after case the state that manages the epidemic failed to quickly provide mortgage assistance to distressed homeowners affected by COVID-19 and 2023 began with many of the same.
Sandra Carpenter and her husband Jack Lester of Kings Mountain continue to await a decision on their appeal.
“You like the house you’re in,” Lester said nervously. “You want to keep it.”
Lester, a pastor, said he contracted COVID-19 in 2020, which kept him in the hospital for three months and left him unable to preach or work on his security detail. . Carpenter said the disease also limited his security work.
“It’s very selfish of you, because you have to go in line to get food boxes or call these organizations to try to ask them to help pay your bill. the electricity,” said the mother. “I can see why people end up homeless.”
Carpenter said he applied for mortgage assistance through the NC Homeowner Assistance Fund last May and is still waiting for his first payment. up to nearly $8,000 in home mortgage debt.
“I really want to have faith that they will come,” Carpenter said. “They told me to be patient with the process.”
Of the latest information showing that the program has reached a milestone, after which many families who requested have received their money. However, as the number of pending applications continues to dwindle, foreclosure notices are beginning to arrive and thousands of families are still waiting for their payment.
The state contract, Emergency Managementsince then 13 additional case managers have been hired to help expedite credit approval.
“IEM is focusing on applications (very late) to get people who have been waiting a long time through the process as soon as possible, and if approved, in payment,” North Carolina Housing Finance Agency Marketing and Internal Communications Manager of Public Relations Connie Helmlinger said. “We expect to see these numbers continue to fall with the hiring of additional case managers to help manage debt and IEM’s focus on older files.”
According to NCHFA, the number of applications over 100 days has dropped significantly since December 1. The agency has also begun issuing payments to speed up the process.
“What it really points to is people who have applied for more than one type of assistance, such as mortgage refinance and HOA,” Helmlinger said. “In the past, both parties had to provide proof of credit before a payment was made, but now we pay each company four times. ‘credit approved, if the mortgage debt is approved, we can go ahead and pay that off. without waiting for the HOA to respond.”
WCNC Charlotte has since shared Carpenter’s story with the state in the hopes that a little encouragement will help move things along, but amid his own struggles, his faith made him think those who are more fortunate.
“My heart really goes out to other people, because I know they are struggling more than we are,” he said. “They may have lost their homes.”
Contact Nate Morabito at nmorabito@wcnc.com and followed him Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.