Homeowner Assistance and Reconstruction Program (HARP)

Español

ReOregon has launched the Homeowner Assistance and Reconstruction Program (HARP) to offer financial assistance to help homeowners repair, rebuild, or replace homes lost or damaged in the 2020 Labor Day Disasters. The first step is to complete the HARP Eligibility Questionnaire.

Completing the entire HARP process will take some time. The ReOregon team will be here to support  you through each step. Learn more about the steps and what you'll need to provide to help your application process go more smoothly.

HARP Basics

HARP may be able to help with:

• Remaining repair costs
• Remaining costs to rebuild or replace your home
  
• Fixes to a replacement home

If you have already completed your new home, although the first phase of HARP will cover only future costs, please hold on to all your rebuilding receipts and records. If funds are available, reimbursement may be possible in a future phase.

You may also view our HARP Overview Flyer (printable version).

Eligibility

You do not have to be a U.S. citizen or resident to apply to HARP. Initially, the program will assist only low- and moderate-income survivors. However, even if your income is higher than the amount listed, we still want to hear from you. The table below shows the income limits for each county, based on the number of people in your household. For example, if your damaged home is in Jackson County and there are four people in your household, your total household income must be less than or equal to $64,700 a year for you to be eligible to receive assistance in the first phase of HARP.

You may also view our Eligibility Factsheet (printable version).

You could be eligible for HARP if you meet the following requirements:

• You owned a home that was your primary residence in the counties of Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn or Marion.
• The home was damaged or destroyed during the 2020 Labor Day Disasters.
• Your property sustained damage and you have a remaining construction need.
• Your home must have at least $3,000 in remaining repairs to be eligible for HARP assistance.
• You are in good standing on your mortgage and property taxes. (Good standing means your most current statement shows you are current on payments or that you are in compliance with a payment plan.)
  
• If you are not already current, you can still apply, but you will need to be current, working to resolve the issue, or on a payment program before receiving an award. Your lender will be asked for their consent for you to participate in the program. Housing counselors will be provided to help you with these issues.
• In Phase 1, your household income must be at or below 80% of county median income for your household size (see the table below).
  

Do you have a hardship? You may still qualify for HARP

Even if your household exceeds the income limits, you could be eligible for assistance if you are experiencing certain hardships. Here are some examples:

• Your household is paying 30% or more of your income to repay a debt, such as medical or recovery debts.
• Your household has one or more people with a physical or mental disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

Other things to know before you apply

• Damaged structures that are NOT eligible for HARP assistance include second homes, foreclosed homes, recreational vehicles (RVs), campers, detached structures, unpermitted housing units, mixed-use buildings, and multiplexes with five (5) or more units.
• You may be eligible for assistance if your home was damaged by straight-line winds but not fire.
• New owners of disaster-damaged homes are not eligible.
• HARP can fund construction anywhere in the eight affected counties. If you move elsewhere, HARP can only help you purchase an existing home that does not require any additional work or repairs. Applicants are encouraged to talk with a program representative before purchasing a new home.
• At the present time, you cannot be paid back for the money you already spent to repair or restore your home. Please hold on to all your rebuilding receipts and records. If funds are available, reimbursement may be possible in a future phase.

HARP Benefits

What services does HARP offer to eligible homeowners?

• Rehabilitation – Repairing your damaged home, including addressing any remaining site hazards. Your home must have at least $3,000 in remaining repairs to be eligible for HARP assistance.*
• Reconstruction – Rebuilding a “stick-built” home. The home can either be on the previous site of the destroyed home or, if that property has been sold, on another lot you have completed the purchase of in the county of Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, or Marion.
• Manufactured Home Replacement – Replacing a damaged or destroyed manufactured home in a park on leased or owned land.
• Repairs for a Replacement Home – Ensuring that replacement homes purchased since the disasters get the repairs they need to be safe and livable, and to meet the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Housing Quality Standards. Homes must be located in the county of Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, or Marion.
• Alternative Sites – Helping homeowners who sold their land, or were on leased land, to buy a replacement home elsewhere.

Homeowners can request HARP assistance to replace a destroyed stick-built home with a new manufactured home. Homeowners who lost a manufactured home can request HARP assistance for replacing it with a stick-built home, but the homeowner must be able to contribute additional funds, as the cost of a stick-built home is higher.

You may also view our Benefits Factsheet (printable version).

How we calculate your benefits

Subject to program maximums, the program is designed to replace the damaged or destroyed home with a similar home of similar size. The program will most often calculate the maximum assistance based on the eligible damage, benefits already received, and the square footage of the original property. If the damaged home was overcrowded by HUD standards (such as having more than two children per bedroom), a replacement home may be larger than the original.

Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) is enlisting general contractors who will make repairs;, build new stick-built homes; or provide and install manufactured homes. State-managed construction will minimize the risk of fraud, provide the best construction outcomes for homeowners seeking to repair or replace a lost home, and make it easier for these homeowners to select and manage contractors.

How contractors will be chosen and contracted

• OHCS can provide you with a list of participating general contractors or manufactured home sellers. They will be the primary providers of HARP homes and repairs.
• OHCS will contract with these providers directly. HARP beneficiaries must add whatever funds they need to contribute to the project, and the program will engage and pay the providers’ award funds directly. The beneficiary will interact with the provider as necessary to ensure the project is successfully completed.
• If you are already under contract to buy a manufactured home or working with a provider whose contract would be difficult to alter, there will be an exception process to determine if you can continue working with them. Eligible contractors must register with and be approved to take part in the program.

What you will be responsible for

If you participate in HARP, you are required to contribute the following to your project:

• Any other recovery awards you may have received previously that were intended to help with home replacement or repair
• Any costs necessary to complete the project that exceed the maximum award (except for site costs and some other costs that are excepted)
• Any project elements requested that exceed project standards (such as premium appliances)

If you already received funds for rebuilding or repairs

We need to know.

HARP award amounts are calculated based on need and include a “duplication of benefits” review. You are required to notify ReOregon about any disaster assistance you have received that was specifically intended to help with reconstruction or repair costs.

This type of assistance may include prior disaster assistance you received from Small Business Administration loans, homeowner and/or fire insurance, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), county or state wildlife recovery programs, or nonprofits such as long-term recovery groups. You will be responsible for contributing this funding to your project.

How to Apply

The first step will be completing the Eligibility Questionnaire, which will be available on March 25th. After your questionnaire is reviewed and if you appear to be eligible, you will be invited to begin the full application process. 

You will be able to apply for HARP assistance either online through this website or in-person at a local intake center, where a local partner can assist you with the application process.

You will need the following information:

• Proof that you owned your home and lived there as your primary residence
• Proof of damage from the 2020 Labor Day Disasters
• Proof of your current income
• Info on any insurance or other recovery funds you received
• Proof of identity (for example, photo ID)

Community partners can help you collect the preferred documents, find other ways to prove you are eligible, and complete the application when it is available.

HARP Policy Manual (English)      HARP Policy Manual (Spanish)