PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A day after Philadelphia officials announced that new property assessments had been posted online, many residents are frowning as they learn about how high their property taxes will be next year. Several of the areas hit hard by steep increases include low-income communities, but there are programs to take advantage of for those who qualify — and who act fast.
“Certain neighborhoods are being impacted dramatically and disproportionately to other neighborhoods in the city, primarily the neighborhoods where our low-income clients come from,” said Johnathan Sgro, supervising attorney with Community Legal Services.
He says there is much concern about the increases for low-income homeowners in rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods, which many fear could cause some Black and brown homeowners and renters to leave their neighborhoods if the costs are passed to them.
“It’s still very, very important to shelter homeowners — particularly low-income homeowners — from these really traumatic increases. Even if it is accurate, that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with if you’re living on a fixed income," Sgro said.
He says the news hasn’t hit the masses just yet, but he expects the phones will soon be ringing off the hook, and they’re ready to help arm residents with information.
Related Jawncast: Did your Philadelphia property taxes go up? Don’t miss your chance to get help.
“There’s sort of a disproportionate benefit to that process that lower income folks tend not to be able to take advantage of as well as more affluent folks,” Srgo said. The mission now, he added, is to spread the word.
“There are many existing programs, including the homestead exemption, the senior tax freeze program, and LOOP — longtime owner occupants program,” he said.
Meanwhile Rick Sauer, executive director of the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations, says renters could be affected as property owners pass on the costs.
“If this is going to force rents up in certain neighborhoods, that will have an impact on low-income renters as well, and we just don’t have the same types of programs or infrastructure in place to help reduce the impact on them as well.”
And the problems don’t stop there. The hard copies of the assessment may not be sent out until September, and the deadline to appeal with the board of revision taxes is Oct. 3. Additionally many people don’t pay attention until they get their actual property tax bill in December.
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