Consumer, civil rights, community, housing, labor, and other public interest organizations wrote a letter to urge the Senate to include mortgage protections in the next recovery package or other upcoming COVID-19 legislation. The groups urged congress to expand the CARES Act by:

• Providing temporary payment relief to homeowners facing a financial hardship due to COVID-19 that interferes with the ability to make mortgage payments, regardless of whether the loan is federally-backed;
• Placing a temporary moratorium on foreclosures and similar actions while a homeowner is in forbearance or seeking post-forbearance repayment arrangements;
• Requiring that all homeowners, regardless of mortgage loan type, be offered an opportunity to resume regular payments, or obtain a more affordable payment where needed, after a temporary payment halt and before any foreclosure begins;
• Requiring that homeowners who are at least 60 days late on their mortgage payments be provided an automatic forbearance;
• Ensuring that all homeowners receive notice of their options if they are facing a COVID-19 hardship, including in-language communications for borrowers with limited English proficiency and information about housing counseling;
• Enacting policies that encourage the mortgage industry to offer broad access to safe and affordable credit; and
• Establishing a mortgage assistance fund to help homeowners who need emergency financial assistance to stay in their homes.