The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) joins Canadians in expressing concern for the people of Fort McMurray and the surrounding area that are dealing with devastating forest fires.

For borrowers with CMHC-insured mortgage loans that are affected by the fires and who may require special arrangements to meet their mortgage payment obligations, CMHC offers Approved Lenders a series of default management tools including:

o Deferral of payment
o Re-amortization of the loan, to result in lower payments
o Capitalization of outstanding interest arrears and other eligible expenses
o Special payment arrangements
o A combination of the above

Approved Lenders have the flexibility to make these special arrangements quickly and without CMHC approval provided that they retain a documented analysis of the borrower’s financial situation on file. Approved Lenders can refer to the CMHC Homeowner Default Management Guide for complete details on CMHC’s default management program.

CMHC recognizes that homeowners affected by the fires may experience some financial hardship due to income shortages resulting from temporary evacuations or due to the need to rebuild or repair their homes. CMHC encourages homeowners with CMHC-insured mortgages to contact their financial institution at the first signs of financial difficulty to discuss their specific situation.