You Might Not Have to Pay Your Property Taxes

The philanthropic arm of Quicken Loans has teamed up with the nonprofit United Community Housing Coalition to try to reduce tax foreclosures in the city. Right now, the goal is to get the word out about a property tax exemption for low-income people. In order to do that, Quicken Loans Community Investment Fund has made $500,000 available to community groups to pay Detroiters to canvass their neighborhoods.

“Right now we are working with 26 community groups all across the city of Detroit to reach 65,000 houses that are at some point behind in their property taxes,” says  Laura Grannemann, Vice President of Strategic Investments for the fund.

Canvassers are telling homeowners about workshops on property tax exemption happening over the coming weeks in each of Detroit’s seven city council districts. At the workshops, homeowners will meet with tax foreclosure prevention counselors from United Community Housing Coalition who can help them figure out if they are eligible for the savings and, if so, how to apply.

“We have found that there’s about 3,500 people that are on that exemption right now and basic calculations show us that that number should really be closer to 40,000,” says Grannemann. “It’s a dramatically under-utilized tool that should really be stronger in the city of Detroit.

Homeowners hoping to receive relief for their 2017 taxes need to apply before year end.

More information on the free workshops, including when and where they are happening, can be found in the below flier.

Property Tax Exemption Workshops by WDET 101.9 FM on Scribd