More than 21% of homeowners did not know their property’s tax status
Detroit has reached a 14-year low for overall tax foreclosures this year as 4,316 families living in at-risk properties managed to avoid foreclosure, according to Quicken Loans Community Fund’s latest report.
The Quicken Loans Community Fund and its Neighbor to Neighbor program community partners helped the families avoid losing their homes to the 2018 Wayne County tax foreclosure auction, the company said. The program provided 5,750 full exemptions to homeowners last year.
The program canvassed 60,000 Detroit families living in tax-delinquent properties and assisted them through property tax exemption workshops.
This year, the canvassers have visited every tax-delinquent property and connected homeowners with several resources and programs to prevent more than 11,000 properties from entering the coming tax foreclosure auction, including 4,371 currently occupied homes.
“Tens of thousands of Detroit residents have been displaced by property tax foreclosure, and on top of the human impact, many of these homes fall into disrepair and become blighted, perpetuating a harmful cycle that destroys vibrant communities,” said Laura Grannemann, vice president of strategic investments for the Quicken Loans Community Fund. “By working with community partners, we are stabilizing housing in Detroit, preventing future blight and helping homeowners and occupants find sustainable, long-term solutions for their property tax burdens.”
In 2018, Quicken Loans found that 21% of delinquent homeowners were not aware that their property was behind on property taxes. Additionally, 61% of renters were also unaware of the home’s tax status.
“Shockingly, through Neighbor to Neighbor, we found that 75% of homeowners behind on property taxes should have been able to obtain a complete property tax exemption based on their income,” Grannemann continued. “We are committed to ensuring that every Detroit resident has access to the tools they need.”
The program’s non-profit partners have held over 50 property tax exemption workshops this year to educate residents on these annual exemptions.
