Connecticut Mortgage Relief: EMAP, Mediation, and Help After MyHomeCT

Is Connecticut mortgage relief still available after MyHomeCT?

Yes, though not in the form of a grant. MyHomeCT was Connecticut’s Homeowner Assistance Fund program, paid for by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The Treasury HAF plans table lists the Connecticut Department of Housing as the recipient of $123,136,792, and CHFA ran the program for the department. It offered grants of up to $50,000.

The CHFA MyHomeCT page says the program has been closed to new applications since September 1, 2023, and that files already submitted were processed subject to available funds. The Treasury Homeowner Assistance Fund page adds that the period of performance for all HAF awards ended on September 30, 2026, so no HAF money can be paid to homeowners now.

Some people also remember T-MAP, a temporary CHFA program created during COVID-19. If you have questions about an older file, ask CHFA directly. The programs below are the ones open to new applicants.

CHFA’s Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program

EMAP is older than the pandemic programs and is still open. According to the CHFA EMAP page, it can help owners who have fallen behind, or expect to, on their mortgage or on non-mortgage costs such as non-escrowed property taxes, condo or HOA fees, and water and sewer liens. The first payment brings the account current. Some owners also get monthly or periodic help after that.

Who qualifies

• You must be the borrower and live in the Connecticut home as your main residence.
• You must document a hardship that was unexpected and beyond your control, such as job loss, reduced hours, a cut or delay in Social Security or pension income, divorce, illness, disability, a death, or a big repair like a furnace, roof, or mold problem.
• You need a fair mortgage history for the two years before the hardship, with no more than four 30-day late payments.
• You must be able to keep up with payments once help ends. Total help cannot exceed 60 months, counting from when the delinquency began.
• Household assets over $100,000 must go toward the delinquency.

CHFA’s application package says a rise in your mortgage payment or general inflation does not count as a hardship. If you are 60 days or more behind, you must first work with your servicer and bring written proof, such as a denial letter or a signed repayment plan. A phone call alone does not count.

How repayment works

EMAP is a loan secured by a lien on your home. Repayment is deferred until you transfer title, stop living in the home as your main residence, or take out cash-out or new financing (other than financing for needed repairs). A transfer to a co-owner after divorce or death does not trigger repayment. The page does not list an interest rate or a maximum dollar amount, so ask EMAP customer service at 860-571-3500 for current terms.

EMAP and MyHomeCT side by side

Foreclosure mediation through the Judicial Branch

Connecticut foreclosures go through Superior Court, and the state pairs that with a mediation program. The Judicial Branch foreclosure mediation page lists the forms, and its homeowner questions page explains who can take part. Now called the Ezequiel Santiago Foreclosure Mediation Program, it is set by Connecticut General Statutes §§ 49-31k to 49-31v.

Eligibility and filing

You must be the person who signed the note, and the home must be your primary residence: a 1-, 2-, 3-, or 4-family home in Connecticut. Condo and tax lien foreclosures are not eligible, though a judge can refer other cases. The papers served on you include a notice about mediation, a blank appearance form (JD-CL-12), and a foreclosure mediation certificate (JD-CV-108). File both forms with the court within 15 days of the return date on the summons. Late filers need the court’s permission on form JD-CV-96. There is no application fee.

How the timeline runs

• The lender sends a financial forms package within 35 days of the return date.
• Premediation usually ends 84 days after the return date.
• Mediation ends after three sessions or seven months from the return date, whichever comes first, unless the court extends it (§ 49-31n).
• For up to eight months from the return date, neither side may file most motions except those tied to mediation, though you can still file an answer or defenses (§ 49-31l).
• Judgment generally cannot enter until mediation has ended and, if fewer than eight months have passed, at least 15 days after it ends.

Mediators are trained Judicial Branch staff. They do not represent either side and cannot give legal advice, but they keep both parties on task and can point you to programs like EMAP. Mediation does not stop the case by itself unless you reach a settlement. State law funds the program through June 30, 2029 (§ 49-31v).

Strict foreclosure and law days

Connecticut is one of the few states that still uses strict foreclosure for many homes. In a strict foreclosure, there is no auction. The court enters a judgment that sets a “law day” for each party, starting with the owner. If you pay the debt by your law day, you keep the home. If you do not, title passes to the next party in line, and eventually to the lender. Under § 49-24, the court can instead order a foreclosure by sale, which is more common when there is real equity in the home.

Timing after judgment is tight. Under § 49-15, a strict foreclosure judgment can be opened on a motion for cause, but generally not after title has become absolute in the lender. The only exception is an agreement of the parties, and even then only within four months of judgment or 30 days after title vests, whichever is later. If you need more time before your law day, ask a lawyer about a motion to open and extend it before the date passes.

If the home is worth less than the debt, the lender may ask for a deficiency judgment within 30 days after the redemption period ends. Under § 49-14, the court sets the property’s value at a hearing, and any judgment is the difference between that value and the lender’s claim. You can bring an appraisal to that hearing.

State hotline and housing counselors

The Department of Banking runs a toll-free foreclosure hotline at 1-877-472-8313, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Its Avoiding Foreclosure page says after-hours messages are returned within two business days. Staff can explain the court steps and mediation forms, and they hear complaints about lenders and servicers.

For hands-on help with an application, use a HUD-approved counselor. Find one through the HUD counselor locator or at 800-569-4287. CHFA also lists participating HUD-approved agencies on its EMAP page. A counselor can work on EMAP and your servicer’s application at the same time.

Servicer reviews and federal loan options

Federal rules still apply alongside the state programs. Under 12 CFR 1024.41, servicers generally cannot start a foreclosure until you are more than 120 days behind, and they must decide a complete application received more than 37 days before a sale before moving ahead. Ask for forbearance, a repayment plan, a payment deferral, or a modification.

Veterans should read the VA’s guidance on trouble making payments. The VA partial claim pays the missed amount once you finish a 3-month trial payment plan, and VA says servicers have until November 28, 2026, to make it available. FHA borrowers can ask about an FHA partial claim. Owners with USDA loans should ask about USDA loss mitigation, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans have payment deferral and Flex Modification.

The Department of Banking’s help for homeowners page links to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loan lookup tools, so you can learn who owns your loan.

Property tax relief for older and disabled owners

A Connecticut Office of Legislative Research report, 2026-R-0027, sums up the state’s required property tax relief for homeowners.

• Circuit breaker program (CGS §§ 12-170aa to -cc): up to $1,250 off the home’s tax for married couples and $1,000 for single owners. You or your spouse must be 65 or older, or you must be a surviving spouse at least 50 years old of someone who qualified, or permanently and totally disabled. You must live in the home, have lived in Connecticut at least a year, and be under the income limit: $56,500 for married couples and $46,300 for singles, based on 2025 income. Apply with your town assessor between February 1 and May 15. The state’s OPM circuit breaker page has a homeowner info line at 860-418-6290.
• Disability exemption: $1,000 off assessed value for owners who get Social Security permanent total disability benefits or a qualifying government disability pension. Towns may add up to $1,000 more.
• Veterans: towns must fully exempt the main home of a veteran with a 100% permanent and total disability rating, and smaller exemptions apply to other veterans and surviving spouses.

Many towns add their own local relief on top of these. Ask your assessor what your town offers. Our senior property tax relief guide has more general background.

Free legal help in Connecticut

Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut runs the legal aid hotline at 1-800-453-3320. Lines can be busy, so call early in the day and have your summons and return date ready. CTLawHelp.org has self-help guides, a legal help finder, and live chat.

A lawyer is most useful before the mediation deadline and before judgment. They can check whether the lender followed notice rules, prepare you for mediation, and file a motion to open if your law day is close.

Avoiding foreclosure rescue scams

The Department of Banking warns owners to be very careful of non-lawyers who charge a fee for counseling, and never to pay a lawyer they have not met. Scammers often ask for money up front, want payment by wire or cashier’s check, or push you to sign over your deed. The CFPB scam guide describes more tricks. Report suspicious offers to the Department of Banking hotline. Our scam warnings guide has a longer list.

Next steps in order

1. If you were served: find the return date on the summons and file the appearance and mediation certificate within 15 days of it.
2. Call the hotline: 1-877-472-8313 for guidance on your case, and Statewide Legal Services at 1-800-453-3320.
3. Work with the servicer: request a loss mitigation application and keep any written denial, which EMAP will ask for.
4. Apply for EMAP: gather ID, a hardship letter with dates, your note and mortgage deed, statements, tax returns, income proof, and three months of account statements. Our document checklist helps you get organized.
5. Lower your tax bill: if you are 65 or older or disabled, apply for the circuit breaker credit between February 1 and May 15.

Our Connecticut hardship program guide covers cash, food, and energy help, and relatives who rent can use the Connecticut rent relief program guide.

Related guides

• Government assistance for homeowners
• Foreclosure assistance for veterans
• Foreclosure assistance grants for seniors
• Connecticut debt relief programs

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Talk to a HUD-approved counselor or a lawyer about your own loan. National Relief Program is an independent website, not a lender, CHFA, the Judicial Branch, or any government agency.