Detroit tax relief program returns
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Mayor Mary Sheffield speaks at a PAYS announcement event. Photo: Courtesy of the city of Detroit via Flickr
A program helping prevent Detroiters from facing foreclosure has returned.
Why it matters: The city's foreclosure crisis led to housing instability that puts residents' health and wellbeing at risk.
Driving the news: Last month, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation to renew an expired state law that authorizes county treasurers to help with property tax relief.
State of play: The program in Wayne County, called Pay as You Stay (PAYS), erases property tax debt penalties, interest and fees for people who first qualify for an income-based property tax exemption called HOPE.
- Qualifying applicants get notified how much their past-due taxes will be lowered.
- Then, they can pay in full for another 10% discount, or pay over a three-year, zero-interest payment plan.
What they're saying: "We need [PAYS] to continue being there for families … who legitimately fall upon difficult times, due to a changing economy, an illness or other circumstances beyond their control," Wayne County Treasurer Eric Sabree said at a PAYS press conference last week.
Between the lines: PAYS' return is also good news for Dan Gilbert's philanthropic organization, which pushed for the renewal. The Gilbert-financed Detroit Tax Relief Fund builds on PAYS.
- PAYS usually erases about half of a homeowner's back taxes.
- The Gilbert program then comes in and pays off the rest, giving the homeowner a clean slate.
By the numbers: More than 6,400 homeowners had their homes repossessed by the county at the crisis' height in 2015, according to U-M.
- 2025 saw the most occupied Detroit homes tax foreclosed since 2017, per Wayne County tax foreclosure data analyzed by the Chargeback last year.
- That figure — 373 owner-occupied houses — was more than double 2024's, but still far under the thousands from the mid-2010s, per the Chargeback's Alex Alsup.
What's next: The deadline for enrolling in HOPE this year is Nov. 6. It's the first step before applying for PAYS.
- The next HOPE info and enrollment fair is 10am-3pm Sept. 19 at Patton Recreation Center.
Go deeper: Learn more about property tax assistance