For longtime, older Atlantans feeling the pinch of rising property taxes, relief could be on the way. 

Invest Atlanta has opened the application process for a program designed to provide legacy residents in the city with financial support to ease the burden of rising property taxes and keep them in their homes. 

The Anti-Displacement Tax Relief Fund, launched in partnership with the City of Atlanta, will cover property tax increases above the city’s base amount over a 20-year period for anyone who qualifies (and continues to qualify over time). City officials have allocated $10 million for the program from private resources, with the Centennial Yards Housing Trust Fund being a primary source, according to Invest Atlanta. 

The Anti-Displacement Tax Relief Fund application period ends May 31 this year. 

According to Invest Atlanta, qualified applicants must be age 60 or older, an Atlanta resident since 2015 (though priority will go to homeowners of more than 15 years), have a household income of 60 percent AMI or less, and be currently enrolled in qualifying homestead exemption programs, among other requirements. 

Invest Atlanta

The tax-relief issue is critical now because Atlanta’s rapid development and growth has put many longstanding community members and seniors at risk of displacement from the very neighborhoods they helped stabilize and build up, according to the program’s backers.  

According to Dr. Eloisa Klementich, Invest Atlanta president and CEO, a pilot program in 2024 accepted 105 applicants and saved legacy residents $41,405 in property tax increases. The agency expects 245 applications this year as the relief efforts spread citywide. 

“These payments, for some, represent more than a 30-percent increase to their tax bill,” Klementich said in a program announcement. “For those on fixed income it becomes very difficult to absorb.” 

Invest Atlanta has teamed with Forward as the program’s administration contractor to help with community outreach, application support (it’s available in 68 languages via phone, text, and email), and eligibility screening “in a way that uses taxpayer dollars efficiently,” per the agency. The program is one component of a broader city strategy to mitigate housing instability and aim for equitable growth. 

“By providing direct financial assistance to our Atlanta seniors for a 20-year period, we aim to not only alleviate the burden of escalating property taxes—particularly in areas of rapid gentrification—but also to empower residents to achieve greater stability,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, an Invest Atlanta chair, in the announcement. “This program is a significant step toward ensuring that our seniors and legacy residents feel secure in their homes and are not forced to relocate due to financial pressures.” 

More details on the program can be found online here, or by calling 855-582-3973. 

...

Follow us on social media: 

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram