Homeowner Assistance Resources
Mortgage Payment and Foreclosure Help for New Jersey Homeowners
If your mortgage payment has become difficult to manage, seek help early. You do not need to decide to sell your home before exploring assistance.
The New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, or NJHMFA, provides connections to foreclosure-prevention counseling and resources for existing homeowners.
This guide explains where to start, distinguishes counseling from closed assistance programs and provides direct official links.
Program-status statements below were checked October 26, 2026. Availability can change.
Presented by CENTURY 21® Action Plus Realty
Derek Doernbach, REALTOR® · Last reviewed October 26, 2026
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Where should you start?
If you are behind on payments or concerned about missing one, contact your mortgage servicer and a housing counselor promptly.
| Your situation | Starting point |
|---|---|
| Difficulty making mortgage payments | NJHMFA foreclosure-prevention counseling |
| Received foreclosure papers | Housing counselor and an attorney promptly |
| Questions about an existing NJHMFA mortgage | Current servicer and NJHMFA homeowner resources |
| Questions about a DPA payoff or lien | NJHMFA assistance-loan servicing resources |
| Private well has qualifying water-quality problems | Potable Water Loan Program information |
| Need rental housing resources | NJHMFA rental-resource page |
Official resources are linked below and do not require submitting a real estate inquiry through this website.
Free foreclosure-prevention counseling
NJHMFA’s Foreclosure Mediation Assistance Program, or FMAP, includes free pre-foreclosure counseling for eligible owner-occupants in default or in danger of default. Counseling is delivered through HUD-certified housing counseling agencies in every county, and NJHMFA stresses there is never a fee for foreclosure-prevention help.
Counseling can help you review your budget, prepare an action plan and communicate with your mortgage lender.
You do not have to wait until foreclosure begins. Counseling does not guarantee a loan modification or automatically stop a foreclosure.
Start with NJHMFA foreclosure prevention or find a housing counselor. Counseling can be provided remotely.
What if you have received foreclosure papers?
Contact a housing counselor and an attorney promptly. Court papers and deadlines still require attention while you explore assistance.
Ask about eligibility for the New Jersey Judiciary’s foreclosure mediation process. Do not assume a counseling appointment or assistance inquiry pauses a case.
NJHMFA explains its counseling and mediation resources on the foreclosure-prevention page. Court information is available through the New Jersey Courts foreclosure resource.
ERMA has officially ended
As checked October 26, 2026, the Emergency Rescue Mortgage Assistance program, or ERMA, has officially ended. The program closed on September 30, 2026, and no replacement mortgage-assistance program has been announced.
In 2026, the agency announced the program would wind down: the application portal closed, all required documents had to be on file by July 31, 2026, and the program officially ended September 30, 2026.
Older articles may describe assistance that was available through this program. Those descriptions do not establish that a new application is possible now.
Check the official ERMA page for changes. A housing counselor can help you explore other options, including free foreclosure-prevention counseling.
Hardest Hit Fund and older refinance programs
NJHMFA identifies the New Jersey Hardest Hit Fund as closed to new applications. Its borrower subprograms, NJ HomeSaver and NJ HomeKeeper, stopped accepting applications effective December 31, 2018. Previous recipients can still use the agency’s resources for assistance-loan servicing questions. NJHMFA homeowner resources
The current NJHMFA lender guide (effective October 19, 2026) keeps the Stay at Home product available for purchases, but NJHMFA states it is not offering refinance transactions at this time. Older references to an NJHMFA refinance product do not establish present availability. Current NJHMFA lender guide (PDF)
Program-status summary
| Resource | Status as checked October 26, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Foreclosure-prevention counseling | Available to eligible homeowners |
| ERMA | Officially closed as of September 30, 2026; no replacement announced |
| New Jersey Hardest Hit Fund | Closed to new applications (borrower subprograms ended December 31, 2018) |
| Stay at Home program | Available for purchases; NJHMFA is not offering refinance transactions at this time (current lender guide effective October 19, 2026) |
Confirm changes through the official sources before relying on a program.
Existing NJHMFA borrowers: payments, escrow and assistance liens
Existing borrowers may need help with mortgage payments, escrow, insurance, a payoff or release of a down payment assistance lien.
Use your current mortgage statement and the NJHMFA homeowner resource page to identify the appropriate contact. First-mortgage servicing and assistance-loan questions may go to different teams.
If you received DPA, review its terms before a sale or refinance. The agency’s homebuying information explains that forgiveness depends on meeting its conditions and provides information about obtaining satisfaction of the lien. NJHMFA homebuying information
Potable Water Loan Program
NJHMFA’s homeowner resource page lists a Potable Water Loan Program offering a no-interest second mortgage of up to $10,000 for qualifying single-family homeowners whose private well fails specified water-quality standards.
Funds may help provide an alternative drinking-water supply or appropriate treatment. This is a loan, not a general home-repair grant. NJHMFA homeowner resources
The linked fact sheet includes fees and repayment requirements and is an older document. Confirm present funding, terms and procedures with NJHMFA at 1-800-NJ-HOUSE before relying on older details. Potable Water fact sheet (PDF)
Rental housing resources
If you are exploring rental housing, start with NJHMFA’s rental and housing resources.
Some material on that page references the pandemic period. Confirm current availability and rules instead of assuming older protections remain in effect.
NJHMFA also supports affordable rental housing through multifamily financing and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program. These activities are separate from individual homebuyer mortgages and DPA. NJHMFA’s role
What if you are considering selling?
Selling may be one option to discuss alongside ways to remain in your home.
A real estate consultation can help you understand potential market value, selling expenses and timing. Your servicer, housing counselor and attorney can address loan obligations, assistance options and legal deadlines.
Before making a decision, establish the mortgage payoff, other liens and any assistance repayment obligations. A possible selling price alone does not establish what you would receive at closing.
If you are planning a future purchase, visit the NJHMFA mortgage rates and programs guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be in foreclosure to get counseling?
Is foreclosure-prevention counseling free?
Does contacting a counselor stop foreclosure?
Has the ERMA program ended?
Is the Hardest Hit Fund open?
Do I need to sell my home to get help?
Where can I ask about an existing NJHMFA loan?
Need to understand your real estate options?
If you want to discuss your property’s potential market value or what a sale might involve, I can help you evaluate the real estate side of that decision.
You can access the official assistance links above without contacting me. A real estate inquiry is optional.
If you use the contact form, provide only your general situation and preferred way to communicate. Do not submit Social Security numbers, account numbers or sensitive financial documents.
Contact
CENTURY 21® Action Plus Realty
Brokerage / Office: (800) 299-2129
Office locations
- 1333 New Rd., Northfield, NJ 08225
- 3838 Atlantic Brigantine Blvd., Brigantine, NJ 08203
- 112 Giffordtown Ln., Little Egg Harbor, NJ 08087
Each office is independently owned and operated.
Derek Doernbach, REALTOR®
Derek's Cell: (609) 403-3315
Email: Derek@DerekDoernbach.com
Website: DerekDoernbach.com
This page provides general educational information, not individualized legal, mortgage or tax advice. Counseling and assistance do not guarantee a particular outcome or automatically suspend legal deadlines. Confirm current options with your servicer, an appropriate housing counselor and an attorney when needed.
Program-status statements checked October 26, 2026. Availability can change.