When his income from being a realtor took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, Wayne Stanley* started to fall behind on the mortgage payments on his new home. By the beginning of 2023, he owed nearly $20,000, and his mortgage lender filed a foreclosure case against him.

“I found myself in this whirlwind. It started stacking up on me, and the next thing I know I’m a year behind,” he said.  

With help from Housing Counseling Services, Mr. Stanley submitted an application to a program called the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF), which was funded by federal COVID relief dollars and provided assistance to residents facing pandemic-related financial hardship. It seemed like the last option standing between him and losing his home.  

DC has one of the highest rates of foreclosures in the country, and with increasing unaffordability, that number is growing. And as mortgage lenders or debt collectors seek action against people struggling under unpaid bills, few borrowers have the benefit of an attorney in their corner. That’s why Legal Aid DC’s Consumer Law Unit represents and advises clients facing foreclosure or debt collection to protect them from illegal practices and help find the best path forward.

Mr. Stanley was referred to Legal Aid, and Staff Attorney Sudi Tassisa began representing him in his foreclosure case and walking him through the HAF application review process.  

“Working with Sudi was an absolute joy because she was very calm and reassuring, and she just guided me effortlessly through the process,” Mr. Stanley said. 

Fortunately, Mr. Stanley was approved by HAF, which put him back on track with his mortgage and got him out from under the foreclosure case.

“It was just like a weight was lifted,” he said. “Now I'm more confident in being a homeowner.”

For Mr. Stanley, HAF was a lifeline. But for other Legal Aid clients, the program has fallen short on its promise.  

In August of 2024, HAF suddenly announced that it was out of funds and would likely not be able to give assistance to homeowners whose applications were still pending — or even those who had already been approved. Legal Aid client Gregory Briscoe had been approved for HAF over a year earlier and had never received the help he was counting on. And in the meantime, his overdue balance continued to grow.  

When HAF hit the brakes with no warning, homeowners like Mr. Briscoe were thrown into a panic about what would happen to them.  

“It’s completely unfair to homeowners for HAF to just shut down with no plan to support those who were already approved for and relying on assistance,” said Mr. Briscoe’s Legal Aid attorney Jojo Schmidt.

Legal Aid’s work representing clients seeking HAF to stave off foreclosure morphed into a new policy fight. The Consumer and Systemic Advocacy and Law Reform teams came together alongside other advocates like the Legal Counsel for the Elderly to demand accountability from the DC agency that runs HAF and protections for homeowners. Mr. Briscoe has taken on a leading advocacy role, sharing his story with The Washington Post and with Councilmember Robert White and his staff.  

“The path forward for Mr. Briscoe and others is still unclear, but we’re going to keep pushing,” Jojo said.

Consumer Law by the Numbers