Pennsylvania Mortgage Relief Program: HEMAP, Act 91, and Help After PAHAF

Where PAHAF stands

PAHAF was Pennsylvania’s slice of the federal Homeowner Assistance Fund. PHFA took the program in house in 2023, paused it, and reopened it to new applicants in March 2024 until the money ran out.

The program’s own site, pahaf.org, now says it is no longer accepting new applications. Remaining funds are shrinking, and waitlisted files are being processed only while money lasts. It also says forward mortgage help will not be paid for any month after June 2025, and that the combined limit is $50,000 per household. If you already applied, the PAHAF call center is 800-342-2397 and the email is askpahaf@pahaf.org. PHFA has not published an exact final closing date that we could load, so we do not give one here.

The Treasury HAF page confirms the national program’s period of performance ended on September 30, 2026. Anyone offering to file a new PAHAF claim for you is not offering a real service.

Pennsylvania mortgage relief program choices now

Pennsylvania’s safety net has more pieces than most. Use this table to find your starting point.

If heating bills or rent for a family member are part of the strain, our Pennsylvania utility relief programs guide covers LIHEAP and utility hardship funds.

HEMAP, the state’s emergency mortgage loan

The Homeowners’ Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program, or HEMAP, was created by Act 91 of 1983. Unlike PAHAF, it was never a pandemic program. PHFA runs it as a loan for homeowners who fell behind through circumstances beyond their control, such as a job loss or medical problem, and who have a reasonable chance of resuming full payments.

How HEMAP works in practice

• You must own and live in the Pennsylvania home, and PHFA materials describe applicants as generally at least 60 days behind.
• You apply only through a HEMAP-approved counseling agency, during a face-to-face or remote meeting.
• The counselor has 30 days to send your application, and PHFA then has 60 days to decide, according to its published process.
• If approved, HEMAP pays the past-due amount to your lender and may help with payments for a limited time.
• You repay PHFA, with the amount based on your income, and PHFA places a lien on the home.

HEMAP depends on state funding each year. We could not load PHFA’s website to confirm current funding or intake when this guide was checked, so ask the counseling agency or PHFA at 800-342-2397 whether HEMAP is accepting applications before you count on it.

The Act 91 notice and your 33 days

Before a lender can sue to foreclose on most Pennsylvania homes, it must mail a combined notice required by Act 91 and Act 6. The notice is long and printed in large bold type at the top. It tells you how much you owe, lists HEMAP-approved counseling agencies in your area, and explains your right to meet with one.

Here is the timing that matters:

1. Day 0. The notice is mailed. Keep the envelope; the postmark date counts.
2. Within 33 days. Hold a face-to-face meeting with one of the listed agencies. The 33 days include 30 days plus 3 for mailing.
3. After the meeting. The lender may not start the foreclosure while your timely HEMAP application is pending.
4. If you skip the meeting. The lender can file the foreclosure complaint once the notice period ends.

Even if you think you will not qualify for HEMAP, the meeting is worth it. The counselor will also help you build a loss mitigation package for your servicer.

Working with your servicer

HEMAP and the servicer track can run side by side. Under the federal servicing rule, 12 CFR 1024.41, a servicer generally may not file the first foreclosure paper until you are more than 120 days delinquent. Send a complete application before then and the case cannot be filed until the servicer gives you a written decision. If the case is already open, a complete application received more than 37 days before the sheriff’s sale must still be reviewed before the sale.

Ask the servicer to review you for every option the investor allows. Typical ones are a repayment plan, forbearance, a payment deferral that moves arrears to the end of the loan, a modification, and, if keeping the house will not work, a short sale or deed in lieu. Keep copies and write down the name of everyone you speak with.

Military, FHA, and rural loans

If the Department of Veterans Affairs guarantees your loan, the VA’s page for borrowers having trouble lists repayment plans, special forbearance, modifications, and the VA partial claim. Under the partial claim, VA pays your past-due balance as a second loan you repay later. You first need to complete a three-month trial payment period, and VA gave servicers until November 28, 2026, to put it in place. VA loan technicians are at 877-827-3702, and our foreclosure assistance for veterans guide has more detail.

FHA borrowers should ask about HUD’s home retention options, including an FHA partial claim that sets arrears aside in an interest-free lien. For a USDA rural home loan, ask a private servicer for USDA’s workout options, or call Rural Development if it is your direct lender.

How a Pennsylvania foreclosure moves through court

Pennsylvania is a judicial foreclosure state. A lender cannot sell a home without a lawsuit in the Court of Common Pleas of the county where the home is located.

Whether the cure-before-sale right applies to your loan depends on its terms, so confirm it with a lawyer. Missing the 20-day answer deadline is the most common way homeowners lose the chance to raise defenses.

Philadelphia’s mortgage foreclosure diversion program

The Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas adopted its Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program in 2008. When a lender files against an owner-occupied home, the court schedules a conciliation conference and bars the lender from taking judgment until the conferences end. If your case was not flagged as owner-occupied, you can file a certification and ask for a conference.

Before the conference, call the Save Your Home Philly Hotline at 215-334-4663, run by Philadelphia Legal Assistance on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Staff connect you with a free city-funded housing counselor and, for eligible owners, a lawyer. Conferences are held on Thursdays in Courtroom 676 at City Hall, and if talks stall you can ask for a judge pro tem to make recommendations. The City of Philadelphia also covers tax foreclosure help.

Several other counties have run their own conciliation or diversion programs. The notice that comes with your complaint will say whether one applies, or you can ask the prothonotary’s office or local legal aid.

Property Tax/Rent Rebate after the 2023 expansion

A 2023 state law raised the maximum Property Tax/Rent Rebate to $1,000 and tied the income limit to cost-of-living increases. The Department of Revenue’s rebate page says homeowners and renters qualify if they are 65 or older, widows or widowers 50 or older, or people with disabilities 18 or older, with household income of $48,110 or less.

The supplement goes to homeowners with income of $32,070 or less whose property taxes are more than 15% of income, and to residents of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Scranton. Apply online through myPATH, by mail, or with free in-person help. The deadline for 2025 claims is December 31, 2026. Call 1-888-222-9190 with questions. Many school districts also offer a homestead exclusion that trims school taxes; ask your county assessment office how to file. Our senior property tax relief guide compares similar programs elsewhere.

Free legal help across the state

Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network funds civil legal aid offices that cover every county. Its site helps you find the office for your area. In Philadelphia, Community Legal Services, Philadelphia Legal Assistance, SeniorLAW Center, and the Volunteers for the Indigent Program all take foreclosure cases.

A lawyer can check whether your Act 91 notice was correct, file an answer, raise defenses such as servicing errors, and ask for a sale postponement while a workout is pending. They can also explain whether Chapter 13 bankruptcy would let you catch up over three to five years.

Keeping clear of rescue scams

People sometimes call homeowners right after an Act 91 notice or a court filing. Be careful if someone:

• Wants a fee before helping with HEMAP, a modification, or a court conference.
• Says they can get you a PAHAF grant now.
• Asks for your deed, or a power of attorney over the house.
• Tells you to skip the counselor meeting or the court date.

HEMAP counseling, the Save Your Home Philly Hotline, and legal aid are all free. The CFPB scam guide lists more red flags. For other debts, see our Pennsylvania debt relief programs guide.

Related guides

• Pennsylvania assistance programs
• Pennsylvania hardship program
• Emergency help with mortgage payments
• Government assistance for homeowners

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal advice. HEMAP funding, rebate limits, and court procedures can change, so confirm them with PHFA, the Department of Revenue, your county court, or a lawyer. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, the Department of Revenue, the Pennsylvania courts, or any government agency.