Update: As of August 24, 2023, the Save the Dream Ohio website says program funding is running out. The program is accepting applications only from borrowers who are delinquent in their mortgage payments.
In early 2021, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act into law. This law created a Homeowner Assistance Fund, a federal program, to give around $10 billion to the states to help households that are behind on their mortgages and other housing expenses due to COVID-19.
Eligible homeowners in Ohio who've experienced a financial hardship because of the pandemic can get a portion of the approximately $280 million allocated to the state—up to $25,000 per household—by applying to the Save the Dream Ohio program. This program uses federal money to help homeowners pay their mortgage payments.
You can use money from the Save the Dream Ohio program to pay past-due mortgage payments and up to six months of upcoming mortgage payments.
The program will also pay delinquent property taxes if the taxes are escrowed. If you pay property taxes separate from your mortgage payment, you can apply to get assistance from the Save the Dream Ohio—Utility Assistance Plus program (see below).
To qualify for relief from this program, you must have suffered a financial hardship (a material reduction in income or an increase in living expenses) after January 21, 2020, because of the coronavirus pandemic. You also have to meet these guidelines.
To find out if you're eligible, take the prescreening quiz.
Payments from the program go directly to the loan servicer or other approved entity, not to homeowners.
Go to savethedream.ohiohome.org or call 888-404-4674 to apply for assistance. You'll have to provide some documentation with your application, like mortgage statements, proof of income (such as pay stubs or tax returns), and a government-issued ID (like a driver's license).
Be wary if you get an unsolicited offer by phone, mail, email, or text message offering mortgage relief or foreclosure rescue services. Scammers are increasingly targeting homeowners who've been affected by COVID-19. Homeowner Assistance Fund programs are free. If anyone asks you to pay a fee to get housing counseling or to receive foreclosure prevention services from this program, it's a scam.
If you suspect fraud associated with the Ohio Save the Dream program, you can:
If you need help with the application process or have questions about the Save the Dream Ohio program, call 888-404-4674 and check the program FAQs. Also, review these additional homeowner resources.
You may also get help from a HUD-approved housing counselor who will assist you at no cost. To find a counselor near you, go to HUD's website or call 800-569-4287.
Effective date: April 12, 2022