What should I do if a disaster damages my home or I cannot make my mortgage payment?

The CFPB's first recovery steps are to file an insurance claim, apply for aid from government agencies, and notify the mortgage servicer. If you cannot make payments, ask the servicer to adjust them so you do not fall behind, incur fees, or face foreclosure. If the home is uninhabitable, FEMA may offer short-term shelter or rental help to eligible survivors; current eligibility and benefit amounts are not published here.

When you call the servicer, the CFPB suggests asking what options can temporarily reduce or pause payments, whether forbearance is available, and whether late fees can be waived. The help you receive can depend on the loan type. For a loan that is not government-insured or government-sponsored, disaster relief is up to the owner or servicer. Federal rules allow, but do not require, that help.

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, VA, and USDA each publish disaster resources for the loans they back. The CFPB notes, for example, that an FHA lender may be able to pause or delay starting foreclosure after a disaster — a step it calls a foreclosure moratorium. Program rules and application deadlines change, so use the official page for your loan type rather than a remembered timeline or benefit amount. Watch for disaster-related fraud.