MORRIS COUNTY — On February 8, the State of New Jersey will launch the Emergency Rescue Mortgage Assistance Program (ERMA), a federally financed program for homeowners who have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible homeowners may receive up to $35,000, plus free housing counseling services, to cover mortgage arrearages, delinquent property taxes, and other housing cost delinquencies. This lifeline makes loss mitigation options, such as refinancing, a viable option. ERMA, which is being administered by the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA), utilizes $…