Maryland Mortgage Relief Program: What Replaced HAF and How Maryland Foreclosure Mediation Works

Where Maryland HAF stands now

Maryland HAF used federal American Rescue Plan Act money to help homeowners who fell behind during the pandemic catch up on mortgage payments, property taxes, and related housing costs. DHCD stopped taking new applications once the money was committed. A later spin-off, the HAF WholeHome critical repair grant, also stopped accepting applications after its funds were used up.

Today, the program’s former site, homeownerassistance.maryland.gov, forwards to DHCD’s foreclosure prevention page, which no longer mentions HAF at all. We could not load an official DHCD notice giving the final application date, so we will not state one. At the federal level, the U.S. Treasury HAF page confirms that HAF’s spending period is over and that states may no longer use the money to help homeowners. There will be no reopening.

If you were approved for HAF and still have questions about a payment that was sent to your servicer, ask the servicer for a full payment history. That record shows whether and when the money was applied.

Maryland mortgage relief program choices that remain

Help in Maryland now runs through people and processes rather than a grant. Here is who handles what.

For a deeper look at the court process alone, our Maryland foreclosure assistance guide goes step by step through each filing.

What DHCD and the courts still provide

DHCD’s foreclosure prevention page is now the state’s main homeowner hub. It does not offer a new grant. Instead it points you to:

• Housing counselors. DHCD publishes a list of HUD-approved agencies across Maryland that give free, objective guidance. Its banner line for late payments is 877-462-7555.
• National HOPE hotline. 1-888-995-HOPE (4673), open around the clock.
• Maryland 211. Dial 211 or 1-800-492-0618 for local referrals for food, utilities, and other bills.
• Legal services. DHCD tells anyone who has received a notice of intent or an order to docket to contact a legal provider and not to ignore court deadlines.

The Maryland Judiciary’s Court Help Center adds free legal advice by phone and chat for people who do not have a lawyer, at 410-260-1392. You can use it to check your response options before a deadline.

Loss mitigation and your federal rights

Maryland law and federal servicing rules overlap, and together they give you several chances to be reviewed. The federal rule, 12 CFR 1024.41, adds these protections for most first mortgages:

• No first foreclosure filing until you are more than 120 days delinquent, which is why many Maryland orders to docket come later than the state’s 90-day minimum.
• A complete application made before filing pauses the filing until a decision and any appeal are done.
• After filing, a complete application received more than 37 days before the sale must be evaluated, and the sale cannot go ahead while it is pending.
• A written decision listing every option reviewed, with appeal rights for many modification denials.

Maryland’s notice of intent already includes a loss mitigation application and a prepaid envelope, so use them. Fill out every page, attach the papers asked for, and keep copies of what you mail.

VA, FHA, and USDA loans in Maryland

Maryland is home to many active-duty and retired service members near Fort Meade, Aberdeen, Andrews, and Patuxent River, so VA loans are common here.

VA loans. The VA’s guidance for borrowers who are behind lists repayment plans, special forbearance, modifications up to 40 years, and the VA partial claim, where VA pays the overdue amount and you repay it when the loan ends or the home is sold. Before a partial claim, you must successfully finish a three-month trial payment plan. VA has said servicers have until November 28, 2026, to add the partial claim to their systems, so if your servicer says it cannot offer one yet, ask when it will. VA loan technicians at 877-827-3702 can help.

FHA loans. HUD requires FHA servicers to work through a set order of retention options, which may include an FHA partial claim held as a zero-interest second lien. The rules changed in 2025, so ask which options apply to your loan today.

USDA loans. On the Eastern Shore and in western Maryland, many homes are financed through USDA Rural Development. Guaranteed loans are handled by your private servicer; direct USDA borrowers should call Rural Development about payment assistance.

The notice of intent to foreclose

Maryland’s main foreclosure statute for owner-occupied homes is Real Property § 7-105.1. It requires a Notice of Intent to Foreclose (NOI) at least 45 days before the case is filed. The NOI goes by certified and first-class mail, and a copy goes to the state’s Commissioner of Financial Regulation. It must include:

• Names and phone numbers for the lender, the servicer, and someone with authority to change the loan.
• The amount needed to cure the default, including fees.
• A recommendation to see a housing counselor, plus phone numbers and websites for nonprofit and state foreclosure help.
• A plain explanation of the Maryland foreclosure timeline.
• A loss mitigation application with instructions and a prepaid envelope.

Some lenders also offer prefile mediation with the NOI. If yours does, you have 25 days after the NOI is mailed to send in the election, and you must meet with a housing counselor first. If both sides choose it, the lender cannot file the case until that mediation is finished. Choosing prefile mediation usually means you give up the later postfile mediation, so talk to a counselor before you decide.

From order to docket to a sale date

Most Maryland foreclosures are filed as an “order to docket” in the circuit court of the county where the home is located. The court oversees the case and later reviews the sale. Under § 7-105.1, the case cannot be filed until the later of 90 days after default or 45 days after the NOI was sent, with narrow exceptions such as fraud or an abandoned home.

The Office of Financial Regulation’s process summary explains what comes with the filing. The order to docket includes either a preliminary or a final loss mitigation affidavit. The final affidavit is filed once the servicer finishes its review, and eligible homeowners receive a mediation request form with it.

Mediation at the Office of Administrative Hearings

Postfile mediation is the moment in a Maryland case when you, the lender’s representative, and an administrative law judge sit down together. According to the OAH foreclosure mediation page:

• You file the request with the circuit court, not OAH, and the court refers the case.
• The request is due within 25 days and costs $50. Section 7-105.1 lets the court reduce or waive the fee for people who meet Maryland Legal Services income guidelines.
• OAH holds the session within 60 days of receiving the case, and its notice lists documents each side must exchange at least 20 days ahead.
• Sessions are held remotely by Webex; you can join by computer or by phone without a camera.
• If you do not attend, the case goes back to court and the sale can be scheduled. If the lender does not attend, the case is returned the same day and the court may dismiss it.
• Within 15 days after mediation, or after OAH reports that none took place, you may ask the court to stay the sale and dismiss the case.

Postponements need a written request showing good cause at least five business days before the session. Have a counselor help you prepare an updated budget and proof of income so the judge can see what payment you can carry.

Sale, exceptions, and ratification

A Maryland foreclosure sale is not final when the auctioneer stops. The Office of Financial Regulation explains that you should receive notice at least 10 days before the sale. After the sale, you have 30 days from the notice of the report of sale to file exceptions, which are written objections. If no exceptions are filed or they are overruled, the court ratifies the sale, and only then does title pass. Eviction can follow as soon as 15 days after ratification, and you remain responsible for the home’s upkeep and taxes until the buyer takes possession.

Section 7-105.1 also lets you cure the default and reinstate the loan up to one business day before the sale, by paying the past-due amounts and allowed costs. Ask the servicer’s lawyer for a written reinstatement figure early, since the number can change quickly.

Homeowners’ Tax Credit and your tax bill

Maryland’s best-known break for homeowners with limited income is the Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit, set out in Tax-Property § 9-104 and run by SDAT. It limits your property tax to a share of your income.

• Income limit: combined gross household income cannot exceed $60,000.
• Net worth limit: combined net worth cannot exceed $200,000 as of December 31 of the prior year.
• Value cap: tax is counted on no more than the first $300,000 of the home’s assessed value.
• How it works: your tax is compared with a sliding share of income, 0 percent of the first $8,000, 4 percent of the next $4,000, 6.5 percent of the next $4,000, and 9 percent of everything over $16,000. The credit covers the difference.
• Deadline: October 1 of the tax year. SDAT can accept a late application through October 31 for good cause.

Some counties and Baltimore City add local supplements, and seniors may qualify for county credits as well. If your taxes are paid through escrow, a new credit can lower your monthly mortgage payment after the servicer’s next escrow review. Our senior property tax relief guide explains how these programs compare across states.

Free legal help for Maryland owners

An attorney can check whether the NOI and affidavits were correct, raise defenses in exceptions, and negotiate during mediation.

• Maryland Legal Aid: statewide civil legal help for eligible residents; intake at 888-465-2468.
• Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service: volunteer attorneys for civil cases; intake at 410-547-6537 or 800-510-0050, Monday through Thursday mornings.
• Maryland Court Help Center: 410-260-1392 for free limited advice.

Bring the NOI, the order to docket, every loss mitigation letter, and your mediation paperwork.

Scams that borrow the HAF name

Maryland orders to docket are public court records, which is how scammers find homeowners. Watch for these patterns, described in the CFPB’s foreclosure relief scam guide:

• A caller offers to “reopen” your Maryland HAF file or get you a state grant for a fee. HAF is over.
• Someone wants an upfront fee to handle your loss mitigation application or file your mediation request.
• You are told to send payments to a third party instead of your servicer.
• You are asked to sign over the deed and rent the home back.

Counselors, OAH, and legal aid do not charge to help you apply. Report suspicious offers to the Office of Financial Regulation’s consumer complaint form.

A checklist for the next 25 days

1. Today: Find the NOI or court papers and mark the 25-day mediation deadline on a calendar.
2. This week: Call the servicer’s loss mitigation team and send the application that came with the NOI.
3. This week: Book a free counselor from DHCD’s list.
4. Before day 25: File the mediation request and $50 fee (or fee waiver request) with the circuit court.
5. Next: Call Maryland Legal Aid or MVLS, and check whether you qualify for the Homeowners’ Tax Credit.

Related guides

• Maryland rent relief program
• Foreclosure assistance for veterans
• Mortgage relief programs
• Delaware mortgage relief program

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Program rules, deadlines, and court procedures can change, so confirm details with the agency, your servicer, the court, or a lawyer. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with Maryland DHCD, the Office of Administrative Hearings, or any government agency.