The Housing Alliance is the greater York area's primary provider of housing counseling and programs geared toward creating and sustaining homeowners. The Housing Alliance is both a PHFA and HUD certified counseling agency that specializes in homeownership education, counseling and assistance; foreclosure mitigation; reverse mortgage counseling; and financial stability.
Below you will find a list of programs and services we offer, but a thorough assessment of your situation with a Housing Counselor is the best way to allow them to direct you to the programs or options best suited to assist you.
Programs and Services
| Sponsor | Housing Alliance of York |
| Program | Reverse Mortgage Counseling |
| Description | A reverse mortgage is a special type of home loan that lets older homeowners struggling with cash flow to “age in place” by converting a portion of the equity in their home into cash. With a traditional second mortgage, or a home equity line of credit, the borrower must have sufficient income to qualify for the loan, and is required to make monthly mortgage payments. The reverse mortgage is different in that no repayment is required until the borrower(s) no longer use the home as their principal residence. HECM’s can also be used to purchase a primary residence if the borrow is able to pay the difference between the HECM proceeds and the sales price, plus closing costs for the property being purchased. The Housing Alliance of York is not a Reverse Mortgage lender – but is a HUD certified counseling agency with a HECM certified counselor on staff available to meet with interested borrowers to evaluate their specific circumstances and help them decide if a reverse mortgage is right for their needs. |
| Contact | Diane Scott (contact me) |
| Phone | 717-854-1541 |
| Sponsor | Housing Alliance of York |
| Program | Homeowner Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program |
| Description | This PHFA program helps homeowners who, through no fault of their own, are financially unable to make their mortgage payments and are in danger of losing their home to foreclosure. A successful HEMAP applicant is granted a loan to bring delinquent payments current, and may also be eligible for payment assistance for up to 24 months. HAY assists the client with the paperwork needed to apply for the HEMAP program. Clients cannot apply for this program until they have received an Act 91 letter from their lender. Once they have received the Act 91 letter they have 33 days to contact our agency and begin the application process. HAY submits the completed application to PHFA for approval. |
| Contact | Lyn Wilski (contact me) |
| Phone | 717-854-1541 |
| Sponsor | Housing Alliance of York |
| Program | HERO - Homeowners' Equity Recovery Opportunity Loan Program |
| Description | HERO is a loan program designed to improve the financial situation of Pennsylvanians who are not able to afford their current mortgage payments. The HERO program provides up to 100% financing, but instead of refinancing your current mortgage into a new loan, PHFA purchases your loan directly from your current lender and then sets you up on an affordable repayment agreement. This program is for borrowers not eligible for PHFA's REAL program ("REfinance to an Affordable Loan") or another mortgage refinance product available in the general market due to credit issues or owing more than your home's current appraised value. Housing Alliance counselors can help you prepare and submit and application for the HERO program. |
| Contact | Lyn Wilski (contact me) |
| Phone | 717-854-1541 |
| Sponsor | Housing Alliance of York |
| Program | Making Home Affordable |
| Description | This federal plan first announced by President Obama in February 2009 is a comprehensive plan to stabilize the U.S. housing market. "Making Home Affordable" includes both a refinance option and a loan modification option that a Housing Alliance of York Housing Counselor can assist you with. The loan modification program will reduce monthly mortgage payments for up to 4 million at-risk homeowners. the Affordable Refinance program will provide access to refinancing for up to 5 million homeowners nationwide. |
| Contact | Lyn Wilski (contact me) |
| Phone | 717-854-1541 |
| Sponsor | Housing Alliance of York |
| Program | Homebuyer Education Workshops |
| Description | This pre-purchase workshop consists of two 3-hour group trainings that explore The Importance of Credit, Budgeting, Choosing a Realtor, Working with a Lender and What to Expect at Settlement in a comprehensive and informal setting. Expert speakers on each of the above topics provide interactive training and guidance in specific areas of home buying. |
| Contact | Lyn Wilski (contact me) |
| Phone | 717-854-1541 |
| Sponsor | Housing Alliance of York |
| Program | Homeownership Counseling |
| Description | One-on-one counseling that is ideally scheduled for after completion of the Homebuyer Workshop to customize the information from the group setting and create a tailored action plan for each prospective homebuyer. A minimum of two hours of one-on-one counseling is required in addition to completion of the Homebuyers Workshop for certification of completing Homebuyer Education required for YHAP assistance. |
| Contact | Lyn Wilski (contact me) |
| Phone | 717-854-1541 |
| Sponsor | Housing Alliance of York |
| Program | Loss Mitigation - Federal Housing Administration Mortgage Default Program |
| Description | This program assists borrowers in default on FHA mortgages. Lenders who offer FHA loans are required to notify delinquent borrowers of this program and refer them to the Housing Alliance for counseling. HAY helps borrowers complete paperwork required by the lender. The lender makes the final decision on the case which then must be approved by HUD. |
| Contact | Lyn Wilski (contact me) |
| Phone | 717-854-1541 |
| Sponsor | Housing Alliance of York |
| Program | Family Savings Account Program |
| Description | A matched savings program geared toward asset building in lower-income Pennsylvanians. Approved savers will earn a $1 for $1 match of their personal savings to be put towards an eligible use. Eligible uses of matched funds include home purchase, starting a business, or post-secondary education for self or child. Download our fact sheet: Family Savings Account [pdf] |
| Contact | Christy Neuman (contact me) |
| Phone | 717-854-1541 |