If housing now consumes more than your household can reliably pay, act before the next missed payment: calculate the exact shortfall, contact the organization connected to the bill, apply for local assistance, and get housing counseling or legal help when deadlines are close. Renters and homeowners have different remedies, and neither an assistance application nor a phone call automatically stops an eviction or foreclosure.
Start by measuring the shortfall
Write down the housing bill, the amount due, its due date and the reason your budget no longer works. Separate rent, mortgage principal and interest, escrow, utilities, insurance, taxes and other required charges. Then list income you expect before that due date and essential expenses that cannot be postponed. This is not a promise that cutting discretionary spending will solve a structural mismatch; it is a way to show a landlord, counselor or mortgage servicer exactly how much is missing and when.
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Gather recent bills, pay information, bank information, your lease or mortgage statement, and every notice you have received. A mortgage counselor may ask for the loan details, date and amount of the last payment, pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements and other monthly bills. Having those documents ready makes it easier to identify an option before a deadline passes.
Identify which housing path applies
Your next step depends on whether you rent or own, whether the hardship is temporary or ongoing, your income and assets, your lease or loan terms, and your state, city, county or tribal jurisdiction. Federal guidance can point you to resources, but local programs, eligibility rules, processing times and legal protections differ.
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If you rent: pursue assistance while protecting your immediate position
Check local rent assistance immediately
Look for rental-assistance programs operated by your state, city, county or tribal government. Funding and application rules change, so confirm that the program is open, serves your location, covers your type of expense and accepts your household’s income category. Ask what documents are required, whether the landlord must participate, how much may be covered and how long decisions normally take.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) warns that an assistance application can take several weeks. If an eviction risk is immediate, do not wait passively for an application decision. Contact the landlord or property manager promptly, explain the amount and timing of the shortfall, and ask in writing what payment arrangement is available. Keep copies of messages and confirmations. Communication does not erase rent due dates or guarantee that an eviction action will pause.
Reduce the utility portion of the bill
For heating, cooling or other utility costs, contact your local Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) office. The CFPB also lists the National Energy Assistance Referral Hotline at (866) 674-6327. Ask whether the program can help with the specific utility, arrears, deposits or shutoff prevention, and whether your application is complete. Utility assistance is separate from rent assistance; qualifying for one does not establish eligibility for the other.
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Ask about vouchers and subsidized housing
Your local public housing agency can explain how to apply for a Housing Choice Voucher and what waiting-list rules apply. For eligible households, a voucher may pay all or part of rent in privately owned housing, subject to program requirements and the approved unit. Availability is local and a wait list may apply, so do not assume a voucher will arrive before your next payment.
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Subsidized housing is a separate route: participating properties offer reduced rents under their own eligibility and application procedures. Ask the public housing agency or property directly about open lists, required documents and how to keep an application current.
Use rental counseling and legal help when needed
Some HUD-approved agencies offer low- or no-cost rental counseling, but services vary. When calling a counselor, verify that the agency specifically lists rental counseling rather than only homeownership or mortgage services. The CFPB gives 800-569-4287 as a route to a local housing expert or counselor.
If a landlord threatens eviction, serves a notice or files court papers, contact a local legal-aid organization or lawyer promptly. Ask which response deadline applies in your jurisdiction, whether the notice is legally sufficient and whether any emergency assistance or protection is available. National guidance cannot determine your state or local rights, and missing a court deadline can have consequences even while an aid application is pending.
If you own a home with a mortgage: contact the servicer before you miss payments
Make the first call using a verified number
Call the mortgage servicer using the telephone number on your monthly statement, coupon book or the servicer’s official website. Explain why the payment is difficult, whether the problem appears temporary or ongoing, your income and essential expenses, and relevant assets. Ask for the servicer’s loss-mitigation application and for every option that may apply to your loan. Write down the representative’s name, the date, any reference number and exactly what documents and deadline were provided.
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A call does not itself change the loan or suspend foreclosure activity. Submit requested paperwork through the channel the servicer identifies and keep proof of delivery. If a deadline is unclear, ask the servicer to state it in writing.
Understand the possible loss-mitigation routes
A servicer may evaluate options such as refinancing, a loan modification, a repayment plan, forbearance, a short sale or a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. These are possibilities, not entitlements. Eligibility and approval depend on the loan, hardship, documentation and applicable program rules.
| Option named in CFPB guidance | What it is intended to address | Questions to ask before accepting |
|---|---|---|
| Refinance | Replacing the existing mortgage with another loan when a borrower and loan qualify. | What is the new payment, interest rate, term, closing cost and total amount paid? Is approval realistic given current income and credit? |
| Loan modification | Changing one or more terms of the existing mortgage to make payments more manageable. | How will principal, interest rate, term, escrow and total cost change? Will any amount be added to the balance? |
| Repayment plan | Spreading missed or reduced payments over future payments. | What is the new monthly amount, when does it end, and what happens if another payment is missed? |
| Forbearance | Temporarily pausing or reducing payments under an agreed arrangement. | When must paused amounts be repaid, and will they be due in a lump sum, through a plan or at another point? |
| Short sale | Selling the home for less than the mortgage balance when the servicer approves the transaction. | Who approves the sale, how will remaining debt be handled, and what costs and timing apply? |
| Deed-in-lieu of foreclosure | Transferring the home’s title to the servicer instead of proceeding through foreclosure, if accepted. | What happens to any remaining balance, liens, relocation needs and credit consequences? |
Compare each written proposal on six points: the immediate monthly payment; whether missed or paused amounts remain due and when; total cost and fees; changes to the loan term and home equity; eligibility or approval uncertainty; and what happens if the arrangement ends or a payment is missed. A lower payment now can still create a larger balance or longer repayment period, so examine the end date as carefully as the first payment.
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Plan before a forbearance ends
If you are already in forbearance, contact the servicer before the scheduled end date. CFPB guidance modified September 30, 2026, describes a repayment plan or an extension that defers paused amounts as possible approaches for some borrowers. Your loan and circumstances determine what is actually available. Ask for the post-forbearance payment, the treatment of every paused installment and the consequence of failing to complete the proposed plan.
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Get independent help with the paperwork
A HUD-approved housing counselor can help you understand a servicer’s offer, organize documents and communicate about the application. The CFPB says this counseling is available at no cost and lists the HOPE Hotline, (888) 995-HOPE (4673), as available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Not every agency provides every service, so confirm what the counselor handles.
Counseling improves your understanding and preparation; it cannot guarantee that a modification will be approved or that you will keep the home. If foreclosure is imminent or you have received legal papers, consult a lawyer familiar with your jurisdiction as well as a counselor.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose assistance by fit, not by the promise of a quick fix
For rental help, compare programs by household eligibility, amount available, expenses covered, required documents, current funding, processing time, landlord participation and whether applications are being accepted. Confirm these details directly with the administering agency because they can change without notice.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFor a mortgage proposal, request the terms in writing and use the comparison questions above. Ask a counselor to explain unfamiliar language, but remember that the servicer—not the counselor—decides which loss-mitigation options can be offered. No federal source guarantees an outcome.
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Recognize housing and foreclosure scams
Be especially cautious when someone contacts you unexpectedly or demands urgency. CFPB scam guidance identifies these warning signs:
- An upfront fee to stop foreclosure, obtain a modification or provide “special” help.
- A guarantee that a loan will be modified or that your home will be saved.
- Instructions to stop paying your servicer, send payments to the supposed helper, or redirect payments elsewhere.
- A request to sign over the title or transfer ownership.
- Pressure to sign documents you have not read or do not understand.
Verify contact information independently, keep control of your accounts and documents, and ask a HUD-approved counselor or lawyer to review any agreement. CFPB states: “You don’t have to pay anyone to help you avoid foreclosure.” Its scam guidance also says that HUD-approved housing counselors are available at no cost.
A practical sequence for the next few days
- Today: calculate the shortfall, identify the due date and collect the lease or mortgage statement, bills, income records and notices.
- Before the due date: renters should contact the landlord, local rent-assistance office and utility-assistance office; homeowners should call the servicer and request loss-mitigation instructions.
- Within the stated deadline: submit complete applications or documents and preserve copies, upload confirmations and reference numbers.
- As soon as a legal notice arrives: contact local legal aid or a lawyer and ask for the exact response date. Do not assume an assistance application changes that date.
- Before agreeing to terms: compare payment, balance, total cost, timing, fees and the consequences at the end of the arrangement with a qualified counselor.
The goal is not merely to postpone one bill. It is to match the housing cost with a sustainable plan while preserving your rights and avoiding irreversible decisions made under pressure.
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