What state help exists right now
North Carolina’s main help for homeowners who are behind is the State Home Foreclosure Prevention Project, run by the NC Housing Finance Agency. The agency says free counseling is available at any stage of the foreclosure process, whether you are only at risk or already facing foreclosure. Counselors work through participating HUD-approved housing counseling agencies across the state. They can talk with your servicer on your behalf and refer you to free legal services if your income is low (NC Housing Finance Agency, checked October 15, 2026). The way in is the agency’s call center at 1-888-442-8188.
The Project is also written into state law. N.C.G.S. 45-104 creates it and puts the Housing Finance Agency in charge. N.C.G.S. 45-102 requires your servicer’s pre-foreclosure letter, sent at least 45 days before a foreclosure hearing notice is filed, to list contact information for HUD-approved counseling agencies and for the Project itself. If you have that letter, the phone numbers you need are already on it. Our answer on what the 45-day letter means walks through the rest of it.
There is one more piece. Under N.C.G.S. 45-105, the agency reviews the state pre-foreclosure database and may extend the earliest foreclosure filing date one time, by up to 30 days, when it reasonably believes more effort offers a real prospect of avoiding foreclosure. That decision belongs to the agency. It is not something a homeowner can request as a right, so it is better to treat it as a possibility than a plan.
What is closed, so you do not chase it
The state programs that paid mortgages directly are not taking new applications.
- NC Homeowner Assistance Fund. Its site says it is no longer accepting new applications (nchaf.gov, checked October 15, 2026). The NC Pandemic Recovery Office reported that new applications stopped as of November 2023, after the program served about 18,000 homeowners with federal pandemic funds (ncpro.nc.gov, May 1, 2023 post with a later update, read October 15, 2026).
- NC Foreclosure Prevention Fund. This earlier program, funded by the federal Hardest Hit Fund, was set to stop taking applications after July 31, 2019 because funds were limited, and no replacement was planned at the time (WFAE, July 5, 2019).
Programs can change, so ask the agency what is open on the day you call. If anyone else tells you about a state grant that will pay your mortgage, check it with the agency before you share personal information.
Other free help worth calling
You do not have to go through the state to reach a counselor. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says plainly that there is free foreclosure help, and that anyone who asks for payment in advance or promises to stop a foreclosure is not legitimate. It points homeowners to HUD’s referral line at (800) 569-4287 and to its own counselor search, which you can also reach at (855) 411-2372 (consumerfinance.gov, page last modified December 12, 2024, read October 15, 2026).
Legal Aid of North Carolina handles foreclosure cases for homeowners who qualify by income. You can apply online through its JusticeHub portal or by phone, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (legalaidnc.org, checked October 15, 2026).
The NC Attorney General’s office notes that North Carolina law makes it illegal to collect advance fees for some kinds of work, including foreclosure assistance. You can check out a company with the office at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM (ncdoj.gov, checked October 15, 2026). Our guide to spotting foreclosure scams in NC covers the warning signs.
What to do first
- Call 1-888-442-8188 and ask to be connected with a housing counselor near you.
- Gather your recent mortgage statements, any letters from your servicer, proof of income, recent bank statements, and a short written note about what changed and when.
- Call your servicer. Ask what options it offers, such as a repayment plan, a forbearance or a loan modification, and ask for the answers and any application in writing.
- Do not pay anyone up front for foreclosure help.
- If you receive a notice of hearing, talk with a North Carolina attorney or Legal Aid right away.
Our guide to the real options for stopping a foreclosure in NC explains each path in more detail.
Listing versus a cash offer: an honest comparison
Counseling should come first if you want to keep the house. If the numbers will not work even with help, selling before a foreclosure sale usually protects whatever equity you have, because the sale pays off the loan and the rest is yours.
Listing with an agent is usually the better choice when you have equity and enough time to prepare the house and wait for a buyer. It tends to net more money. A cash sale trades some of that money for speed, certainty and no repairs, which can matter when the timeline is short or the house needs work. If you owe more than the house is worth, either path may need your lender’s approval as a short sale.
We can show you both numbers side by side: a written cash offer and an honest estimate of what listing would net. If listing is better for you, we will say so.
Frequently asked questions
Does North Carolina have a program that will pay my mortgage for me?
Not that we could find as of October 15, 2026. The NC Housing Finance Agency’s homeowner page lists free foreclosure counseling, and the NC Homeowner Assistance Fund says it is no longer accepting new applications (nchaf.gov). Programs change, so ask the agency at 1-888-442-8188 what is open when you call.
Is the state foreclosure counseling really free?
Yes. The NC Housing Finance Agency says free counseling is available at any stage of foreclosure through the State Home Foreclosure Prevention Project, provided by participating HUD-approved agencies. The NC Attorney General’s office notes that state law makes it illegal to collect advance fees for foreclosure assistance, so be wary of anyone who asks for money up front.
Can the state stop or delay my foreclosure?
The state does not stop foreclosures. Under N.C.G.S. 45-105, the Housing Finance Agency may extend the earliest filing date one time, by up to 30 days, only when it believes more effort offers a reasonable prospect of avoiding foreclosure. That is the agency’s decision, so work with a counselor and a North Carolina attorney rather than planning around it.
Who can help me for free if a foreclosure has already been filed?
A HUD-approved housing counselor can still work with your servicer after a filing, and the state’s call center at 1-888-442-8188 can connect you. Legal Aid of North Carolina handles foreclosure cases for homeowners who qualify by income and takes applications online or by phone, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Questions about your situation? Call or text (910) 372-6720.
Sources: NC Housing Finance Agency, Are You Struggling to Pay Your Mortgage? and Find a Housing Counselor (nchfa.com, checked October 15, 2026); N.C.G.S. 45-102, 45-104 and 45-105 (ncleg.gov, checked October 15, 2026); NC Homeowner Assistance Fund status notice (nchaf.gov, checked October 15, 2026); NC Pandemic Recovery Office, NC Homeowner Assistance Fund Prevents Foreclosures (ncpro.nc.gov, May 1, 2023, read October 15, 2026); WFAE, Program to prevent NC foreclosures about to disappear (July 5, 2019, read October 15, 2026); Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Mortgage help and Find a housing counselor (consumerfinance.gov, last modified December 12, 2024, read October 15, 2026); Legal Aid of North Carolina, Get Help (legalaidnc.org, checked October 15, 2026); NC Department of Justice, Protecting Consumers (ncdoj.gov, checked October 15, 2026).
