The Action for Boston Community Development, Inc. center in Mattapan will be providing pre-application assistance for distressed homeowners interested in $50,000 foreclosure prevention loans offered through the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

An estimated 1,200 local homeowners will receive the funds, which are offered through the Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program. The funds cover 24 months of mortgage payments, or $50,000, whichever comes first.

They are available in zero interest, forgivable packages. Applicants must submit a pre-application to the ABCD Mattapan Family Service Center and will be entered into a lottery. If selected, the applicant will then be eligible to complete a full EHLP application. The Department of Housing and Urban Development will make the final determination about eligibility and amount of assistance.

To be eligible for assistance, homeowners must have been delinquent on their mortgage payments and must have residency in the distressed home. They must also show likelihood of foreclosure (in the form of a bank letter, statement, etc.), have an income of $75,000 or below as a result of unemployment, underemployment or medical emergency, have a monthly mortgage payment that is more than 31 percent of one’s income, and demonstrate an ability to resume repayment of debt obligations.

Selected applicants will be required to provide paperwork including mortgage statements, utility bills, 2009 and 2010 tax returns, a notice of delinquency from a mortgage lender, and a confirmation of employment status from an employer.

There exist certain eligibility restrictions: being currently in bankruptcy (personal of business), having two open liens on a home, and having a federal tax lien on a home can make someone ineligible for assistance.

Potential Mattapan applicants must submit their pre-application paperwork, along with a third-party authorization form, to the Mattapan ABCD office by July 22. There is no fee to submit the pre-application forms. For more information on the program, visit www.findehlp.org or call the toll-free hotline at (855) 346-3345. Those looking for information can also call the Mattapan ABCD office at (617) 298-2045.