After you’ve reviewed the loan program information and any related documents posted on our website, please follow the steps below to apply for an HFLS loan. Please note that HFLS only makes loans to low- and moderate-income individuals and families who live in New York City’s five boroughs, Westchester, or Long Island. HFLS loans are available to all qualified borrowers, regardless of religious affiliation. You can view our income guidelines here.

1) Contact the Hebrew Free Loan Society at 212-687-0188 or info@hfls.org to obtain an Application and Guarantor Forms if they are not posted online for the loan program for which you would like to apply.

2) Identify two guarantors for your loan. Specific guarantor requirements are stated in the Information Sheet posted on each loan program’s webpage. The following requirements apply to guarantors for all loan programs:

• A married couple is considered one guarantor; if a couple is married, his or her spouse must also complete and sign the Guarantor Form.
• Guarantors and borrowers must NOT live together.
• Guarantors must live in the five boroughs, Westchester, or Long Island; have good credit history; and have an annual family income that meets the minimum requirement specified in the loan program’s Information Sheet.

3) Once the Application and Guarantor Forms are complete, contact the Hebrew Free Loan Society at (212) 687-0188  to schedule an in-person loan interview. Loan interviews may be conducted at our centrally located Manhattan office or in the offices of one of our community partners in Brooklyn (the Shorefront Y or the Edith and Carl Marks Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst).

4) Bring all the required documents to your scheduled loan interview. The specific documents required are stated in the Information Sheet posted on each loan program’s webpage. The following documents are required for all loans:

• Completed Application and Guarantor Forms signed by borrower, guarantors, and all spouses. (Guarantor Forms may be submitted directly to HFLS by the guarantors.) All items on the Application and Guarantor Forms must be filled in.
• If the primary borrower was not born in the U.S., a copy of the primary borrower’s INS-issued document (US passport, Green Card, I-94) confirming legal status
• From the borrower, guarantors, and all spouses, a copy of a government-issued photo ID that includes a signature
• Primary borrower’s voided check

Additional documents may be required for particular loan programs. For more information, please see the Information Sheets posted for each loan program. Failure to submit all required documents will delay the loan process.

HFLS reviews and decides on loan applications every week throughout the year. Once a decision has been made, you will receive a letter advising you whether your loan has been approved. If your loan is approved, you will be instructed in writing how to complete the loan process by mail.

Please contact HFLS at 212-687-0188 or info@hfls.org with any questions.