Property Tax Relief Expansion Is A Lifeline For Some Residents

DENVER (CBS4) - Increased property taxes have many homeowners in the Denver and surrounding areas feeling uneasy about the cost month to month. On Monday, the city announced the expansion of a program designed to help.

Karen Green is among those hoping to take advantage of the program. She and her husband bought their first home nearly 30 years ago.

"It is a dream," she said.

While it was not perfect, it was theirs.

"When we first moved in here the kitchen cabinets were like, oh God they were horrible," she laughed.

A re-finance and the death of her husband a few years ago left her figuring out how to pay the bills. On a fixed income, it was sometimes difficult to do, but she was making it work for at least for a while.

"The mortgage company sends me a statement once a year 'your mortgage payments going up,'" Green said. "'Taxes have increased and your insurance is increasing.'"

To make up the difference green is turning to Denver's property tax relief program.

The city has been helping seniors and those with disabilities for more than 60 years. Now, they are expanding the reach. Starting May 1, the program will include families who own a home and earn 40 percent of the area median income

Depending on family size and homeowner status, the income limits range from $16,000 to $41,000.

"It's a group that needs help in this climate and the mayor has been talking about it for actually years. He's been talking about the economic vibrancy of the city has not hit everyone," Denver Human Services Executive Director Don Mares said at a news conference on Monday morning.

For Green, it could be enough to save her house and keep her in the only home she has ever known.

"Once you get your own home, you just do everything you can to hold onto it," Green said.

The average amount paid to those who qualify is between $400 and $500, right now Denver Human Services serves more than 3,500 people every year.

Applying is free. The season for the new, expanded program and 2018 tax year is open from May 1 to April 30, 2020.

Applications for the 2017 tax year will be accepted until April 30, 2019. Visit denvergov.org/propertytaxrelief or call 720-944-4DHS to get an application.