Foreclosure moratorium, mortgage forbearance extended by USDA

Eviction and foreclosure moratoriums on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Single Family Housing Direct and Guaranteed loans have been extended through June 30. 

The extensions were made to assist those with housing loans through the USDA in rural communities throughout the country, a press release from the USDA said. 

“USDA recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered an almost unprecedented housing affordability crisis in the United States," said USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Justin Maxson in the press release. 

"That’s why USDA is taking this important action today to extend relief to the hundreds-of-thousands of individuals and families holding USDA Single Family Housing loans.” 

The USDA cited a study by the Census Bureau that said 8.2 million homeowners are behind on mortgage payments. 3 million of the 8.2 million are Black and Hispanic, the study found .

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“While today’s actions are an important step for them, we need to do more," Maxson said. "The Biden Administration is working closely with Congress to pass the American Rescue Plan to take more robust and aggressive actions to bring additional relief to American families and individuals impacted by the pandemic.”

The USDA's press release said that they took action in January when they temporarily suspending past-due debt collections, foreclosures, non-judicial foreclosures, debt offsets or wage garnishments. 

More information on USDA’s Rural Development COVID-19 relief efforts can be found at www.rd.usda.gov/coronavirus as well as www.consumerfinance.gov/housing. 

The press release can be read at the USDA's website here.