Emergency Services, 460 Main St, 2nd floor, may assist you with a one-time payment of tax or mortgage arrears, if you have fallen behind in payments, are threatened with foreclosure, and are unable to make other payment arrangements or forbearance agreements with the lender/tax office on your own.   Shelter arrears payments are generally limited to once every five years.   

• For county or city taxes, there are usually specific tax years that are taken into consideration for their In-Rem Foreclosure proceedings.   Our emergency payment is limited to the remaining principal balance owed in taxes for those years.   You will have to make other arrangements with the tax office regarding your payment of any interest, late fees, in-rem fees, or user fees.

• For mortgage arrears, payment is generally limited to 6 months of the regular monthly mortgage principal and interest payment, unless more is needed to stop the foreclosure.   You will have to make other arrangements with your lender regarding your payment of any late fees, court costs, or legal fees.

• Interest-free loans for shelter arrears generally must be repaid within 12 months.   Failure to repay the loan in full may result in denial of future shelter arrears applications. 

• Along with other common documents needed for application, you will need to provide proof of threatened/pending foreclosure, as well as documentation from the tax office or mortgage company, itemizing how much you owe and for what time period.  You will need to bring proof of your other home-related bills, including mortgage, homeowner’s insurance, taxes, and water.    You’ll also need to complete a Shelter Arrears Questionnaire/Shelter Arrears Questionnaire - Spanish.

• You will also need to prove that you can afford your ongoing shelter expenses.

Emergency Assistance - Shelter Arrears

Emergency Assistance - Shelter Arrears - Spanish