Severe weather in South Dakota brings new HUD assistance

Severe storms, winds and flooding in South Dakota earlier this summer has led President Joe Biden to issue an official disaster declaration for the state, which includes assistance for borrowers of government-insured mortgage financing from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The president declared a state of emergency in South Dakota on Aug. 15 and has “ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, and flooding,” the White House announced.

The relief applies to those impacted by the extreme weather events from June 16 to July 8 in the counties of Aurora, Bennett, Bon Homme, Brule, Buffalo, Charles Mix, Clay, Davison, Douglas, Gregory, Hand, Hanson, Hutchinson, Jackson, Lake, Lincoln, McCook, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Sanborn, Tripp, Turner, Union and Yankton.

This means that approximately 28% of the state is eligible for relief from HUD, which includes a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures of mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), as well as foreclosures of mortgages to Native American borrowers under the Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee program.

There is also a 90-day extension automatically granted for federally insured reverse mortgages through the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program. This relief, including the moratorium and extension, applies for 90 days following the Aug. 15 disaster declaration issued by the White House.

Impacted mortgage borrowers are advised to immediately contact their lender or servicer to inform them of the need for assistance and a potential change in the ability to meet the financial obligations of their loan. Conventional borrowers may be eligible for relief under the holder of their mortgage.

HUD has been actively providing relief for borrowers of government-insured loans stemming from a series of natural disasters.

The department has been actively monitoring the ongoing situation on the Hawaiian island of Maui stemming from devastating wildfires there last summer. It has also provided relief for victims of natural disasters in states including Texas and Florida, updated its own climate resiliency plans due to an increasing level of extreme weather events and issued a final rule addressing flood risk.