HHF Appeals and Review Processes - Ohio Housing Finance Agency

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Timeline Appeals for Error, Policy Dispute, or End of Assistance, must be filed within 60 days of the date the homeowner was notified of decline or early termination. The homeowner will be notified via a Decline Letter, an End of Assistance Letter, or a Hardship Verification Audit letter. OHFA Appeal Consideration Process Error – Once received, if the appeal is due to an Error, an underwriter who did not originally underwrite the file will review within 30 days and issue a determination. If the new underwriter upholds the original decision and the homeowner still disputes the decision, the homeowner may re-appeal that decision. Upon re-appeal, the file will be reviewed by the HHF Governance Committee. Change in Circumstances – Once received, if the appeal is due to a Change in Circumstances, an underwriter will review within 30 days and issue a determination. If the underwriter upholds the original decision and the homeowner still disputes the decision, the homeowner may re-appeal that decision. Upon re-appeal, the file will be reviewed by the HHF Governance Committee. Policy Dispute – If the appeal a Policy Dispute, the appeal will be reviewed and a determination issued within 30 days by the HHF Governance Committee. However, if the determination requires an update to the HHF Program Guidelines, it may be up to 90 days before the update is implemented. End of Assistance – If the appeal is due early termination, removal of payments, or demand for repayment that occurred because the homeowner did not respond to an MPA Certification, an underwriter will review within 30 days and issue a determination. If the underwriter upholds the original decision and the homeowner still disputes the decision, the homeowner may re-appeal that decision. Upon re-appeal, the file will be reviewed by the HHF Governance Committee. If the End of Assistance Appeal is due to the Hardship Verification Audit, HHF Compliance will review the file within 30 days and issue a determination. Final Appeal – If, for any type of appeal, the homeowner disputes the decision made by the Governance Committee, the file will be reviewed by the OHFA HHF Appeal Committee. The decision made by the OHFA HHF Appeal Committee is final and may not be appealed. RE-REVIEW PROCESS Save the Dream Ohio clients may request that their files be re-reviewed by OHFA’s underwriting team following the re-review process described in this guidance. Review Types There are three different types of reviews: 1. Eligibility (Prior to 2/1/13): A homeowner may request that their file be reviewed for eligibility if a file submitted to OHFA before 2/1/13 was previously withdrawn or became inactive. 2. Eligibility (After 2/1/13): A homeowner may request that their file be reviewed for eligibility if a file submitted to OHFA on or after 2/1/13 was previously withdrawn or became inactive. 3. Additional Assistance: A homeowner who previously received assistance from Save the Dream Ohio but is still struggling with a financial hardship and has funds remaining in their maximum
enefit amount, may request a review to determine whether he/she is eligible for additional assistance. 4. Change in Income: Homeowners participating in the Mortgage Payment Assistance (MPA) program are required to report any increase in income or change in employment circumstance to OHFA. Reporting a change in income triggers a review to determine if a homeowner is still eligible to participate in MPA. 5. Resubmission after Bankruptcy: A homeowner who received MPA prior to filing bankruptcy may resume MPA following a bankruptcy discharge if it has been less than 180 days since the bankruptcy was filed. Requesting a Review A homeowner may request a review by contacting their housing counselor. If the housing counselor believes the request for review is reasonable or necessary, the counselor must send an email to HHFReview@ohiohome.org, unless the file was submitted to OHFA underwriting prior to 2/1/13 and was withdrawn or became inactive. Those files must be submitted by an HCA Administrator per the guidance issued in Bulletin 2013-3. The email to HHFReview@ohiohome.org must include the Review Request Form with the homeowner’s name, client ID, reason for the review request (Eligibility, Additional Assistance, or Change in Income), and confirmation that the appropriate documents have been exported to underwriting. If the request is for an Eligibility or Additional Assistance Review, the counselor must export updated income documentation, a mortgage statement, a utility bill, and, if applicable, a new application to OHFA underwriting using the HHF Counselor Module. If the request is for a Change in Income Review, the counselor must export updated income documentation and the Change in Income Review Form located on the Ohio Housing Finance Agency website. If the request is for Resubmission after Bankruptcy, the counselor should submit the discharge date, 30 days of income, and the Application to Resume SDO Assistance Following Bankruptcy. OHFA Review Process Requests will be reviewed within 30 days of receipt, if all necessary documents have been uploaded to the file. The review will be conducted by a designated underwriter or underwriters.
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HHF Appeals and Review Processes - Ohio Housing Finance Agency

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