Side by Side: Keeping Communities Intact, Keeping Homeowners in Their Homes

When a Philadelphia homeowner fell behind on his mortgage payments, he turned to PLA for help. Nicole Piusienski, a PLA paralegal, worked with the client to secure a $40,000 Homeowner’s Assistance Fund grant to cover a large portion of his mortgage arrears. 

However, like many homeowners facing financial hardship, the amount he owed exceeded the maximum grant available. To keep his home, he also needed a loan modification that would allow him to bring the remaining balance current and move forward with manageable payments.

Nicole worked closely with the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and the mortgage servicing company to coordinate the grant and the loan modification. When she realized the servicer had not properly applied the grant to the client’s account and intended to apply it in a way that would make him ineligible for assistance, she continued to press for a solution. After weeks of back and forth 
and with the deadline to accept the loan modification approaching, Nicole escalated the issue to a contact at Fannie Mae, the owner of the mortgage. The next day, the servicer agreed to extend the modification deadline and properly apply the grant funds. Because of Nicole’s persistence, the client was able to resolve his mortgage arrears and remain in his home. 

Helping homeowners stay in their homes not only protects individual families from displacement, it also helps preserve the stability of neighborhoods and the strength of Philadelphia communities.