Unemployment Bridge Program

 

A new statewide program, funded through the Hardest Hit Fund®, which makes $148 million available for Kentuckians who have been unemployed through no fault of their own.  The program provides funding which will help bring your mortgage current.
 

The Kentucky Unemployment Bridge Program (UBP) is a forgivable loan option for eligible applicants to assist them in making their mortgage payments.  To be eligible, the applicant must have experienced a job loss or reduction in income due to changing economic conditions, through no fault of their own, and demonstrate a need for assistance.*  

The UBP is not for job or income loss due to divorce, death, or disability. The job loss or reduction on employment income must have occurred within the three(3) year period prior to date of application. 

The maximum amount of assistance is $30,000 or 18 months, whichever occurs first (effective with closings on or after March 4, 2013).  Of the $30,000, the maximum amount that may be used for reinstatement, all related fees and payments to bring your loan(s) current, is $12,500 (effective with closings on or after May 7, 2012).  To get started, click on Get Free Help at the top of the page.

Applicants must meet the following guidelines and the mortgage must be with a participating servicer.

• Maximum amount of liens on the property cannot exceed $275,000.
• Maximum of two liens permitted on the property.
• Applicant(s) must demonstrate a need for assistance.*
• Maximum liquid reserves are six months PITI (excluding retirement funds).
• Applicants must sign a hardship certification acknowledging the reduction in income due to no fault of their own.
• UBP is only available to applicants whose mortgage servicing company agrees to partner with Kentucky Housing Corporation.  An applicant cannot receive assistance if their servicer has not enrolled as a participating servicer. See if your servicing company is on this list.
  • If a second mortgage servicer IS NOT on the participating servicer list or if the applicant is willing to continue making the second mortgage payments WITHOUT UBP assistance, the applicant must complete the UBP Second Lien Notice.
   

Other qualifications apply.  A complete Program Manual is available on Counseling Agency Tools page under Partner tab.

 *Applicants must fall into 1 of 2 categories:  unemployed or underemployed.  Unemployed applicants have not yet regained employment following their original qualifying job loss event.  They may still be receiving unemployment benefits or benefits have ended.  Unemployed applicants demonstrate a need for assistance when their PITI exceeds 31% of their gross monthly income OR when they demonstrate their current income is at least 15% less than their pre-event income.  Underemployed applicants have experienced a qualifying job loss but have found another job that pays significantly less or they never lost their job, but hours or salaries were reduced due to economic reasons.  These applicants demonstrate a need for assistance when they have experienced at least a 15% reduction in their employment income. 

 

*Important Alert! There are “copycat” Web sites posing as Hardest Hit Fund® application sites.  Kentucky Housing Corporation, through the Kentucky Homeownership Protection Center and the Unemployment Bridge Program, is the only agency authorized to administer Hardest Hit Funds® in Kentucky. 

If you are suspicious that the Web site you are using is not the correct site, contact our toll-free information line at (866) 830-7868 to verify the Web site address.  Application for and participation in the Unemployment Bridge Program and Kentucky's Hardest Hit Fund® is FREE-OF-CHARGE and you will not be asked to pay for any services in conjunction with applying for or participating in the program.