HSM Helios Strategic Mortgage Income Fund (The) Common Stock

Helios Strategic Mortgage Income Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") (NYSE: HSM) today announced that its Board of Directors (the "Board") has suspended the $0.0725 monthly dividend for October and November 2009.

The Board has also declared the December 2009 dividend of $0.0725 per share, payable on December 24, 2009 to stockholders of record on December 16, 2009.

In addition, the Board declared a special dividend of $0.1450 per share, payable on December 24, 2009 to stockholders of record on December 15, 2009.

When comparing the dividends paid to date for the current fiscal year to the projected income earned for the current fiscal year, the Fund's management determined that additional distributions in October and November were likely to be deemed a return of capital. Given the Fund's current investment opportunities and projected earnings for the next fiscal year, the Board concurred with the manager's recommendation to retain cash for investments rather than to return the capital to the Fund's stockholders.

Dividends may include net investment income, capital gains and/or return of capital. The dividend yield referenced above is calculated as the annualized amount of the most recent monthly dividend declared divided by the stated stock price.

The Fund uses its web site as a channel of distribution of material company information. Financial and other material information regarding the Fund is routinely posted on and accessible at www.brookfieldim.com.

Helios Strategic Mortgage Income Fund, Inc. is managed by Brookfield Investment Management Inc., a registered investment advisor with investment management expertise across core fixed income, high yield, structured products (Commercial MBS, Residential MBS and ABS) as well as global REITs and listed infrastructure securities. Headquartered in New York, the firm has approximately $20 billion of assets under management as of October 1, 2009. Brookfield Investment Management is a subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management Inc., a global asset manager focused on property, power and other infrastructure assets with approximately $80 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2009.

Contacts: Helios Strategic Mortgage Income Fund, Inc. Three World Financial Center 200 Vesey Street, 10th Floor New York, NY 10281-1010 (800) 497-3746