FHA Orders Foreclosure Halt for Sandy Victims

FHA Orders Foreclosure Halt for Sandy Victims

FHA Orders Foreclosure Halt for Sandy Victims

FHA Orders Foreclosure Halt for Sandy Victims

The FHA (Federal Housing Administration) has ordered a 90-day temporary suspension of foreclosures in areas affected by Hurricane Sandy last week, the U.S. Housing and Urban Development announced Monday.

“I directed all FHA lenders to impose a moratorium on any foreclosures for 90 days in disaster-affected areas,” Shaun Donovan, HUD secretary, told reporters. “We don’t want families to be victimized twice — once by the storm and once by a foreclosure.”

Following the storm last week that ravaged the East Coast, mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also announced mortgage relief for Sandy victims. Sandy victims with Fannie- or Freddie-backed loans might also qualify for temporary forbearance on their mortgages, possibly even up to a year.

Source: “US Orders 90-day Suspension of FHA Foreclosures in Disaster Areas,” Reuters (Nov. 5, 2012)