Press Release: Disaster Mortgage Relief to Protect Families Rebuilding After Catastrophic Fires
Hilltop Announces New Partnership With Disaster Mortgage Relief to Protect Families Rebuilding After Catastrophic Fires
Washington, D.C., Nov 19, 2025. Hilltop today announced a new partnership with Disaster Mortgage Relief to call for urgent federal reform that protects families rebuilding after federally declared natural disasters. The collaboration brings Hilltop’s CivIQ platform to survivors across the country and gives them a simple way to contact Congress during the most vulnerable stage of recovery.
Wildfire survivors in Los Angeles are already reaching their 12-month forbearance deadlines while still years away from returning home. According to Disaster Mortgage Relief’s recent survey, 90 percent of survivors are paying rent and mortgage simultaneously, more than 80 percent face rebuilding costs that exceed insurance coverage, and 15 percent are at risk of foreclosure. Without federal action, families will continue falling into preventable debt and long-term displacement.
Through this partnership, Hilltop and Disaster Mortgage Relief will mobilize survivors, creators, and young people to press Congress for two straightforward solutions:
Extend federal mortgage forbearance to match real rebuild timelines
Move deferred payments to the end of the loan without credit penalties
“This is one of the clearest examples of a policy gap hurting real families,” said Aubrey Ottenstein, CEO of Hilltop. “No one should be asked to resume a mortgage on a home that no longer exists. We’re proud to help survivors share their stories directly with lawmakers and push for a system that reflects the reality of long-term recovery.”
“For families still displaced, every month is a fight to stay afloat,” said Rachel Jonas, co-founder, with husband and co-founder Robert Fagnani, of Disaster Mortgage Relief. “People who lost everything are being put at risk of losing even more through no fault of their own. This partnership gives survivors a powerful way to be heard and a pathway for Congress to fix what is clearly broken.”
Take Action Today
Anyone can contact their members of Congress in under a minute at:
https://disastermortgagerelief.hilltop-app.com/
About Hilltop
Hilltop is a next-generation civic media and advocacy technology platform that helps organizations mobilize supporters and bring real community stories to the center of policymaking.
About Disaster Mortgage Relief
Disaster Mortgage Relief is a survivor-led advocacy effort working to secure fair and realistic mortgage protections for families rebuilding after federally declared natural disasters.
