There are roughly 60,000 homes behind on their property taxes in Detroit, Michigan. Many of these homeowners may qualify for a full or partial property tax exemption—families facing financial hardship, residents living in poverty, and disabled veterans may be eligible to stay in their home with a recently announced program to combat foreclosure issues, according to a release from Quicken Loans Community Investment Fund [1] (QLCIF).
In light of these issues, QLCIF has partnered with the United Community Housing Coalition (UCHC) and eight community development organizations to address the pervasive issue of tax foreclosure in Detroit. This door-to-door outreach will attempt to reach all the residential properties behind on property taxes and connect residents at risk of tax foreclosure to resources.
This program is part of a wider initiative to maintain the integrity of Detroit neighborhoods and ensure Detroiters have the opportunity to build equity as the city continues to grow.
According to QLCIF, “underutilized tools to prevent foreclosure include a property tax exemption for owner-occupied homes and an option for disabled veterans.”
"No one organization can do this work alone," said Laura Grannemann, VP of Investments for the QLCIF. "We need everyone working together to connect Detroit residents with the tools that will keep them in their homes and allow them to continue building equity as the city grows."
In May 2017, the QLCIF partnered with UCHC to knock on the doors of 3,300 occupants of Detroit homes facing the 2017 tax foreclosure auction. The outreach effort helped the residents of 2,100 homes ultimately avoid tax foreclosure and remain in their homes.