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JACKSON — Today,
Governor Tate Reeves announced further efforts to support homeowners
and first responders who are being stretched thin during the COVID-19
outbreak.
Working with the Mississippi Home Corporation (MHC) and Mississippi
Department of Human Services (MDHS), Governor Reeves is providing
mortgage assistance for homeowners and emergency childcare for
essential personnel and first responders to help relieve the burden of
hardworking Mississippians across our state.
You can view the Governor's full remarks here.
Mortgage
Assistance
MHC has reopened the Hardest Hit Fund (HHF) to provide short-term
mortgage assistance to those who have lost employment or income due to
the COVID-19 pandemic. This will allow MHC to pay monthly mortgage
payment assistance. People can submit applications through an online
portal here: mshomesaver.com.
"I saw firsthand the homes that were lost to the tornadoes this
weekend. It breaks my heart. There are more who are at risk of losing
their homes to our nation’s economic crisis. We can’t stop the wind
from blowing, but we can try to stop more from losing these
homes," said Governor Tate Reeves.
HHF is a program of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which first
allocated funds to Mississippi in 2010. Mississippi has used the funds
to stabilize local housing markets and help families avoid
foreclosures. The program targets assistance toward unemployed
homeowners or underemployed homeowners and those with homes that are
worth less than their value of their mortgages.
“MHC is taking action to help families navigate the evolving impact
COVID-19 is having on our communities. It is our hope that through
re-opening the Hardest Hit Fund we are able to help Mississippi
families who have been impacted by this national crisis,” said MHC
Executive Director Scott Spivey.
Emergency
Childcare for First Responders
Working with the Governor and the state's COVID-19 response, MDHS has
joined with the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) to
provide much-needed childcare services for emergency and essential
personnel who would otherwise not have access to it because of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
"Our essential workers are being asked to do things that others
aren’t. They are stepping into the line of fire to provide what we all
need to stay safe. We need to do everything that we can to help them.
We hope that this expanded access to child care will lighten the load
for our essential workers. It won’t make their jobs easy. But we hope
that it can make this one highly stressful element easier," said
Governor Tate Reeves.
The Childcare Crisis Assistance in Isolation Response Plan (CCAIR) is
designed to serve as temporary, emergency childcare facilities during
this crisis period for families listed as essential workers in
Executive Order 1463. These personnel are serving on the frontlines of
this pandemic and are unable to isolate at home.
In addition to fulfilling the background, health, and safety
requirements, potential partners will have access to free-of-charge
CCAIR training through the Early Childhood Academy. Upon completing
this training, they will be assigned a CCAIR Coach who will guide them
through the process of becoming a CCAIR site.
“We have emergency and essential personnel risking their health and
well-being every day to continue to provide the care and support we
need to sustain our daily lives. They should not have the additional
burden of finding both care and education for their children,"
said MDHS Executive Director Robert G. “Bob” Anderson.
For those who need financial assistance, Emergency Certificates can be
applied for. Applications for these certificates will begin one week
from today.
For more information on CCAIR, as well as what steps that must be taken
before being considered for certification as a CCAIR site, you can go
to www.mdhs.ms.gov/ccair.
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