We won Hurricane Ida mortgage forbearance for NJ! 

If you have questions about New Jersey’s Hurricane Ida mortgage forbearance law that aren’t listed here, please reach out to us at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to get you answers.

1. What changed from the previous version of this bill to now?
   Our first version of the bill would have allowed most Ida survivors to access this relief, but the Governor’s conditional veto drastically narrowed who would qualify by adding additional requirements families had to fit into in order to apply. The current version of the bill addresses the concerns outlined in the veto, but takes out the parts the Governor wanted to add that would have excluded many of us from being able to get this forbearance. Basically, we had to meet him somewhere between our version and his to get the bill passed at all – but this version still covers a lot more of us than the one the Governor came up with.
   
   
2. I received a forbearance, payment plan, etc from my mortgage lender previously, can I still get this mortgage forbearance?
   Yes. This is a new law and a specific reason for forbearance, so your lender must comply with the law.
   
   
3. Will taking a mortgage forbearance be reported on my credit report?
   In short, no. A mortgage forbearance should not be reported negatively on your credit report, as long as you comply with all terms of the forbearance agreement with your lender. It is a good idea to keep an eye on your credit reports regularly, in case you need to dispute anything that does appear.
   
   
4. I’ve applied for a Blue Acres buyout, can I still apply for this forbearance?
   Yes, there’s no rule preventing you from applying for both. It’s a good idea to inform your case manager or someone at the team at Blue Acres if you have any further questions.
   
   
5. What if I can’t apply online?
   If you have problems accessing the online application once it opens, or you or someone you know does not have access to the internet, contact DCA directly.
   
   
6. What does DCA mean by “primary residence”? I’ve been renting/staying in a hotel room/living with family since Hurricane Ida because my home is still damaged.
   

   The definition in the bill for “primary residence” means a homestead located in the State of New Jersey that is occupied by a storm-impacted homeowner as their permanent residence, or that would be so occupied but for damage due to Hurricane Ida that has rendered the homestead uninhabitable. If a homeowner is living somewhere temporarily, that is not a primary residence under the framework of the legislation.

   
   

   That’s the official answer. What that basically means is this: as long as the storm-damaged home was your primary residence at the time of Ida, and you have or had a mortgage on that home, then you should apply, even if you’re not technically living there right now.

7. Where can I find my Applicant ID?
   In order to apply, you’ll need what the DCA calls an “Applicant ID.” Their website says that your ID will differ depending on which of the three programs you are part of. For HARP applicants, it will look like HARPXXXXXX, for Blue Acres applicants it will look like BLUXXXXXX, and for MAP applicants it will look like MAPXXXXXXXX. You’ll most likely be able to find this number in the subject lines of emails you received from HARP, MAP, or Blue Acres.
   

8. What does this question on the application even mean: “Is your mortgage loan made, insured or securitized by a federal agency?”
   

   You should only answer “yes” to this question if your loan is a federally backed mortgage like an FHA, VA, or USDA mortgage. If you select “yes” here, the application will be denied, as these types of mortgages aren’t covered by this Ida Mortgage Forbearance program (see more about this in the next section below). So, folks with conventional mortgages, make sure you select “no” here.

   Top tip: This one and some of the other questions have little “info” buttons, a blue circle with a lower case italicized “i” in them, which give you more information if you click on them.

If you aren’t sure whether your mortgage is federally backed – or if you didn’t think yours was federally backed, but DCA denied you for this reason – there are a few ways you can check:

• Look at your closing documents from when you purchased your property.
• Look at your mortgage deed itself. 
• Contact your mortgage company directly and ask if yours is federally backed, and ask to see documentation of this in writing.
• If you’ve tried all of the other options and none of them work, let us know and we’ll help you contact your local municipality to see if they have information on file. 

FHA mortgages, for example, will have an FHA case number listed on the documentation. This will be a ten-digit number which will look like 000-00-00000. Here’s a guide where you can learn more about what an FHA case number looks like, how to find it, and how to look up your case number (if you have one but don’t know what it is) using HUD’s website. 

Some of these federally backed mortgages you would have had to apply for from the beginning, but with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, they may have taken over your mortgage at a later date.