HUD extends foreclosure moratorium on Maui for affected borrowers impacted by 2023 wildfires

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), announced it is extending its foreclosure moratorium for borrowers with FHA-insured mortgages in Maui County, HI, through Aug. 4, 2024. FHA is taking this action due to the extent of the devastation from the wildfires, the reduced capacity for borrowers to access needed resources, and the unique challenges associated with the geographic location of Maui.

The extension will provide affected borrowers more time to obtain federal, state, and local assistance, to work with a HUD-certified housing counselor, and/or to rebuild without the added burden of dealing with foreclosure actions. FHA’s foreclosure moratorium for Maui County has been in place for eight months and was set to expire on May 6, 2024.

“This past September, I visited Maui and saw the damage that wildfires inflicted on homes, communities, and families. I also met with local officials, ensuring them that HUD and the entire Biden-Harris Administration is with them for the long haul,” said HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. “Today, we are extending our foreclosure moratorium once again, assuring Maui homeowners that HUD continues to support their full recovery from this disaster.”

“We’ve extended the foreclosure moratorium in Maui County, a county that experienced extreme devastation,” said Federal Housing Commissioner Julia Gordon. “We remain committed to doing all that we can to help the residents of Maui County recover from this disaster.”

With this extension, FHA is instructing mortgage servicers that they must not initiate new, or continue with existing, foreclosure actions on FHA-insured single family forward mortgages and Home Equity Conversion Mortgages for properties located in Maui County.

For borrowers and renters in Maui County:

• For those with a home with a mortgage insured by FHA in the Maui County disaster area and who are unable to make their mortgage payments, immediate relief is available. Homeowners are likely to have a range of options that can help them avoid the need to default on their mortgage or to sell their home or land. Borrowers should contact their mortgage servicer for assistance as soon as practical. Borrowers may also contact the FHA Resource Center at 800-CALL-FHA (1-800-877-8339; or for TTY 1-800-877-8339) for assistance.
• For borrowers and renters who need immediate housing and disaster recovery assistance, HUD-certified housing counselors are prepared and well-trained to provide guidance on the options that are available. To find a HUD-approved housing counseling agency, borrowers can use HUD’s online search tool at hud.gov/findacounselor or use our phone search by calling 800-569-4287 or 202-708-1455 (TTY).

*Editor’s note: This post was updated to reflect a correction provided by HUD, which updates the date of the mortgage moratorium extension.