Homeowners
Property
Tax
Assistance
Program
offers
tax
relief
to
eligible
Detroiters
•
Income-eligible
homeowners
may have
2018
property
taxes
waived
• City
has
mailed
applications
to 3,700
property
owners
behind
on 2017
taxes as
part of
stepped
up
effort
to help
Detroiters
stay in
their
homes
DETROIT
- The
City of
Detroit
is
taking a
proactive
approach
to
helping
homeowners
avoid
the
threat
of
foreclosure.
This
week,
thousands
of
Detroiters
who are
delinquent
on their
2017
property
taxes
will
receive
Homeowners
Property
Tax
Assistance
Program
applications
to
determine
whether
they
qualify
for tax
relief.
The
Office
of the
Assessor
has
proactively
mailed
out
3,741
applications
to all
homeowners
who are
delinquent
on their
2017
property
taxes
and have
not
already
requested
an
application.
The
Assessor
has
mailed
out
another
5,000
applications
based on
requests
that
have
come
into the
office.
Detroit’s
property
tax
exemption
for
low-income
households
can
reduce
or
eliminate
property
taxes on
homes,
depending
on the
occupants’
income
levels
and the
number
of
people
living
in the
home.
The City
has
taken
the
additional
step
this
year of
mailing
to
delinquent
taxpayers
as part
of its
increased
efforts
to reach
Detroiters
who may
be on a
path to
foreclosure.
If a
property
owner is
fails to
pay
property
taxes
for
three
years,
they are
subject
to
foreclosure
by Wayne
County.
“We want
to help
Detroiters
stay in
their
homes,
and a
big part
of that
is
reaching
out to
people
when
they
first
fall
behind
on their
taxes,”
said
Deputy
Chief
Financial
Officer/Assessor,
Alvin
Horhn,
who
added
that
homeowners
don’t
have to
be
behind
on their
taxes to
be
eligible
for the
exemption.
“We
encourage
any
homeowners
who
think
they may
qualify
for the
hardship
exemption
this
year
based on
their
income
to reach
out to
us
immediately.”
How it
works
The
letter
sent
from the
Office
of the
Assessor
alerts
homeowners
of their
tax
delinquency
and
advises
them
that
they may
be
eligible
for help
through
the
Detroit
Homeowner’s
Property
Tax
Assistance
Program.
Homeowners
must
apply
for the
assistance
by Dec.
10,
2018, to
be
considered.
Depending
on
applicants’
income
levels,
they may
be
granted
either a
half-exemption,
or a
full
exemption.
The
number
of
hardship
applications
approved
by the
city has
grown
steadily
each
year,
from
3,800 in
2014 to
more
than
5,200 in
2017.
Nearly
3,300
applications
have
been
approved
so far
this
year,
although
thousands
more
likely
are
eligible,
based on
U.S.
Census
data.
Who
qualifies?
While
recognizing
that
there is
no
universally
agreed
upon
measurement
as to
what
constitutes
poverty,
the
Detroit
Board of
Review
has
established
the
following
maximum
eligible
income
as a
“guideline”
and as
an aid
in
eliminating
subjective
judgments
for
reviewing
2018
petitions:
How to
apply
Homeowners
who have
questions
about
the
Homeowners
Property
Tax
Assistance
Program
or wish
to
receive
an
application
may call
the
Office
of the
Assessor
at
313-224-3035
or the
Detroit
Board of
Review
at
313-628-0723.
The
application
also is
available
on the
City’s
website.
Detroit
foreclosures
continue
steady
decline
In 2017,
the
total
number
of
foreclosures
on
occupied
and
vacant
homes in
Detroit
caused
by
nonpayment
of taxes
declined
to the
lowest
level
since
the 2008
housing
collapse,
to
6,315.
That was
a drop
of 70%
from
24,793
in 2015.
The
decrease
was even
greater
for
owner-occupied
homes,
which
fell 88%
to 786
foreclosures,
from
6,408 in
2015.
The
new
outreach
to
delinquent
taxpayers
is one
of a
number
of
actions
taken by
the City
and
other
groups
to
prevent
foreclosures.
Last
fall,
the
Quicken
Loans
Community
Investment
Fund
launched
a
$500,000
partnership
with
more
than 30
community
organizations,
United
Community
Housing
Coalition
(UCHC)
and the
City of
Detroit
to reach
out to
thousands
of
households
in
Detroit,
at least
one year
behind
on their
taxes,
to help
them
apply
for
hardship
exemptions
and
other
assistance
programs.
In
addition,
the City
has
worked
closely
with the
Wayne
County
Treasurer
and UCHC
to reach
out to
thousands
of
homeowners
facing
foreclosure
to help
get them
enrolled
in the
reduced-interest
payment
plans
for back
taxes.
In
2016,
Detroit
completed
its
first
comprehensive
citywide
reassessment
of
property
values
in 60
years so
that
residential
home
values
more
closely
reflect
market
values,
which
fell
steeply
in the
aftermath
of the
2008
national
housing
collapse
and
subsequent
recession.
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