City Gives More Time for High Tax Aid Program Applications
What does the City of Greensboro, North Carolina do when it tries to distribute funds to its residents, but the response isn’t as expected? They simply extend the program’s deadline and ramp up their promotional efforts.
The program at the heart of this matter is the Greensboro Low-income Homeowners Assistance Program. Established in April, its purpose is to aid low-income homeowners struggling to deal with the unprecedented property tax increase that was put into effect this fiscal year by the City Council.
In a historical move, the City Council decided in June 2022 to hike property taxes by an equivalent of 8.69 cents. This move was a record-breaking one, marking the largest property tax increase in Greensboro’s history. Recognizing the significant impact of this hike on property tax bills, the Greensboro Department of Housing and Neighborhood Development proposed a relief program in March 2023 to support low-income homeowners. By April, the City Council had given their approval, indicating a faster-than-usual response.
Despite recognizing the tax increase as a substantial burden for some residents, the City Council is set to pass a recommended city budget next week that includes an additional 4-cent property tax increase. Before last year, such a hike would have been deemed substantial, but it appears the Council has set a new precedent in property tax increases.
This newly established program offers rebates to low-income homeowners. These rebates are calculated as the difference between their 2021 city property tax bill and the higher 2022 property tax bill. Originally, the deadline to apply for this aid was set for June 15, but it has now been extended to June 20. This extension indicates that the $250,000 allocated for the program has not been fully distributed.
To be eligible for the Low-income Homeowners Assistance Program, a single-person household must have a total gross income of $41,000 or less. For households of two or more people, the total gross income must not exceed $47,000.
In addition to extending the deadline, the City of Greensboro has announced further efforts to assist residents with the application process. City staff will be present at the World Refugee Day Celebration, which will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 17, at Hester Park. Here, they will be able to help residents apply for the Low-income Homeowner Assistance Program.
Should these efforts not be enough and if there are still funds available, there might be consideration for raising the income requirements for the program, although currently, this does not seem likely.
