Proposal would provide pandemic relief for mortgage payments

New laws and executive orders have allowed lenders to offer forbearance, but at the end of that period, many lenders are requiring that the entire amount is due.

News 12 Staff

Apr 21, 2020, 7:38 PM

Updated 1,697 days ago

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Some relief could be on the way for out-of-work Long Island residents who are unable to pay their mortgage.
New laws and executive orders have allowed lenders to offer forbearance, but at the end of that period, many lenders are requiring that the entire amount is due.
State Sen. Todd Kaminsky is proposing legislation that would make New York banks tack on three months of payments to the end of a borrower's loan, if needed. He says this would potentially save homeowners from going into default and prevent a potential financial crisis after the pandemic ends.
"Those three months you owe will be tacked on to the entire life of a much longer mortgage," says Kaminsky. "You'll be able to pay it when you are back up on your feet, it will not be a big deal in the scheme of things over the 30 years, and we think that is a great way to integrate people back into the economy without them having to worry about their loans."
Kaminsky's bill would only affect New York chartered banks -- meaning homeowners with other possibly larger banks might not be affected. Because of this, federal legislation needs to be considered as well.
Rep. Kathleen Rice says she's pushing for a bill in Washington that would cover all banks to give homeowners the option to defer their payments a few months. She says banks could easily absorb this change.