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How to Avoid
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Free foreclosure help in New York

Free help is available everywhere in New York, mostly through the Attorney General's Homeowner Protection Program (HOPP), a network of about 90 nonprofit counselors and legal services groups. Start with the organization that matches your situation below. You never have to pay a company to apply for a modification, attend your settlement conference, or claim surplus money. If a court deadline is running, call the same day.

Free HUD counselor: (800) 569-4287

Reviewed against New York law and official sources on October 12, 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Ask for help in New York

Free. A person replies with the options and official help that fit. Messages about a scheduled sale are answered first.

For example: a sale date, what your servicer has told you, or what changed in your income. Please do not include your loan number, Social Security number or bank details.

Free, and there is nothing to buy. A person reads your message and replies by email, or by phone if you leave a number. We never ask for a fee and we do not sell your details. See the privacy policy.

Who to call first, by situation

  • You are not behind yet but expect trouble

    Before you miss a payment

    Call your servicer using the number on your statement and ask what hardship options exist. HomeownerHelpNY (Homeowner Protection Program) at 1-855-HOME-456 can connect you with a free local housing counselor to review your budget.

  • You are behind or got a 90-day notice

    Within days of the notice

    Call one of the counseling agencies on your 90-day notice or HomeownerHelpNY (Homeowner Protection Program). They can help you apply for a loan modification or other workout. NYS Homes and Community Renewal: Homeowners confirms the state Homeowner Assistance Fund is closed, so do not wait for HAF money.

    N.Y. RPAPL § 1304

  • You were served with a summons and complaint

    Immediately; 20 or 30 days to answer

    Call HomeownerHelpNY (Homeowner Protection Program) for a free legal services group, or search LawHelpNY: Foreclosure. NY CourtHelp: Foreclosures explains each step, and NY Courts: Foreclosure Answer Program builds your answer for free. If you need a private lawyer, the New York State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service offers a 30-minute consultation for $35.

    N.Y. CPLR 320(a)

  • A sale date has been set

    The same day you learn of it

    Call a legal services group through HomeownerHelpNY (Homeowner Protection Program) or a licensed attorney about an order to show cause to stay the sale. Tell your servicer and the lender's attorney in writing about any pending application, refinance or buyer.

  • Your servicer is not following the rules

    As soon as the problem happens

    Write down dates, names and what was said, and send your servicer a written complaint. If the case is in a settlement conference, tell the court if the lender is not negotiating in good faith. You can also report predatory practices to the New York Attorney General: Homeowners and the Homeowner Protection Program at 1-800-771-7755.

    N.Y. CPLR 3408(f)

  • A rescue company or home buyer contacted you

    Before you sign or pay anything

    In New York a distressed property consultant cannot take any fee until all services are fully done, and you can cancel within 5 business days. Never sign over your deed. Report it to New York Attorney General: Deed Theft at 1-800-771-7755.

    N.Y. Real Prop. Law §§ 265-a, 265-b

Official and nonprofit help in New York

None of these charge homeowners for foreclosure help.

Need a private foreclosure lawyer?

License-checked lawyers who represent homeowners, by area:

New York State Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF)

New York Homes and Community Renewal says the state's HAF program is closed and no longer serving people on its waitlist. The U.S. Treasury states that the federal HAF period ended on September 30, 2026, so HAF money can no longer be used to help homeowners. Free help is still offered through the Attorney General's Homeowner Protection Program (HOPP), a statewide network of housing counselors and legal services groups that can help with loan modifications and represent you at settlement conferences. Call 1-855-HOME-456.

Check the program’s current status

Common questions in New York

Where can I get a free foreclosure lawyer in New York?

Call the Homeowner Protection Program hotline at 1-855-HOME-456 (855-466-3456). HOPP funds legal services and housing counseling groups that cover every county and can represent you in court, including at settlement conferences. LawHelpNY also lists free and low-cost legal help.

Is New York's Homeowner Assistance Fund still open?

No. NYS Homes and Community Renewal says the state HAF is closed and no longer serving people on the waitlist. The U.S. Treasury says the federal HAF period ended on September 30, 2026, so no HAF money is left to give. Free counseling and legal help through HOPP is still available.

What does the New York State Bar lawyer referral cost?

The New York State Bar Association says referrals are free and the first consultation is $35 for 30 minutes. Requests are made online. Some counties have their own bar referral services, and fees after the first consultation are between you and the lawyer.

How do I report deed theft or a foreclosure scam in New York?

Call the Attorney General at 1-800-771-7755 or file a complaint online, or contact your local district attorney. If a scammer is trying to evict you in housing court, the Attorney General explains that you can ask the judge to pause the case for 90 days under RPAPL section 756-a so you can challenge the ownership.

Step by step

More on foreclosure in New York

Understand the process

What is happening and how much time there is.

Weigh your options

What can stop it, and what happens if it goes ahead.

Get help now

Who to call, and what to do when a sale is scheduled.

Back to the New York overview

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Free help anywhere in the country

Sources for this page

  1. NY CourtHelp: Avoiding Foreclosure (Loss Mitigation)
  2. NY Courts: Remote Bidding in Foreclosure Auctions (Administrative Order 150/25)
  3. NY CourtHelp: Foreclosure Resources
  4. Empire Justice Center: Foreclosure Prevention (HOPP anchor partner)
  5. N.Y. RPAPL § 1304, Required prior notices (90-day notice)
  6. N.Y. RPAPL § 1303, Foreclosures; notice ('Help for Homeowners in Foreclosure')
  7. N.Y. RPAPL § 1320, Special summons requirement
  8. N.Y. CPLR 3408, Mandatory settlement conference in residential foreclosure actions
  9. N.Y. CPLR 320, Defendant's appearance
  10. N.Y. CPLR 213, Actions to be commenced within six years
  11. N.Y. RPAPL § 1302-a, Standing defense
  12. N.Y. RPAPL § 1341, Payment into court before or after judgment
  13. N.Y. RPAPL § 1351, Judgment of foreclosure and sale
  14. N.Y. RPAPL § 231, Notice of sale
  15. N.Y. RPAPL § 1354, Distribution of proceeds of sale
  16. N.Y. RPAPL § 1361, Application for surplus
  17. N.Y. RPAPL § 1371, Deficiency judgment
  18. N.Y. RPAPL § 713, Grounds where no landlord-tenant relationship exists
  19. N.Y. RPAPL § 749, Warrant of eviction
  20. N.Y. RPAPL § 756-a, Stay of proceedings involving title or possession (deed theft)
  21. N.Y. Real Property Law § 265-a, Home equity theft prevention
  22. N.Y. Real Property Law § 265-b, Distressed property consulting contracts
  23. Van Dyke v U.S. Bank, N.A., 2025 NY Slip Op 06537 (N.Y. Court of Appeals, Nov. 25, 2025) (FAPA applies retroactively)
  24. NY Courts: Foreclosure Information for Homeowners (settlement conferences)
  25. NY CourtHelp: Foreclosure Case Basics
  26. NY CourtHelp: Answering a Foreclosure Case
  27. NY CourtHelp: Foreclosure Settlement Conferences
  28. NY CourtHelp: Foreclosure Judgments
  29. NY CourtHelp: Deficiency Judgments After Foreclosure
  30. NY CourtHelp: 90 Day Pre-Foreclosure Notice
  31. NY CourtHelp: Common Defenses in a Foreclosure Case
  32. NYS Homes and Community Renewal: Homeowners (HAF closed)
  33. U.S. Treasury: Homeowner Assistance Fund (period of performance ended September 30, 2026)
  34. Governor Hochul: actions to combat deed theft (June 17, 2026)
  35. New York Attorney General: Homeowners (HOPP, Protect Our Homes)
  36. HomeownerHelpNY: Foreclosures