Older Atlantans find property tax relief through city program

Kathryn Copper, a 76-year-old retired speech pathologist, has seen plenty of changes during her 29 years in the Poncey-Highland neighborhood on the east side.

There is less street parking than there once was, she’s noticed. But there is the nearby Beltline, on which she loves to take strolls. There’s Ponce City Market, and the influx of new, younger neighbors who she says have changed the character of the neighborhood for the better.

But all that change has come with higher property taxes. With the help of a citywide program through Invest Atlanta, called the Anti-Displacement Tax Relief Fund program, Copper says she is now less worried about how to pay for it.

“I came here because the house drew me here, and since that time, the property taxes have just increased astronomically,” Copper said. “That becomes a drain on my well-being and being able to figure out how am I going to manage this.”

Under the program, Copper will not have to pay any increases above her base property tax level. Instead, the city’s program will cover that bill for 20 years — as long as she is eligible.

The initiative was launched as a pilot program in select neighborhoods in 2024 to protect longtime homeowners in the city from rising property taxes that have come from the pressures of rapid gentrification and development.

It was rolled out citywide this past May.

Speaking during a news conference on the front porch of Copper’s home Monday, Mayor Andre Dickens said the program is for residents whose homes are their primary residence and who are current on their property tax payments.

“I also think about this as a son of a senior homeowner: I know the importance of making sure legacy residents across our city can age in place and age with dignity in the homes that they worked so hard for,” said Dickens, who is up for reelection next month.

Eloisa Klementich, president and CEO of Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development authority, said the program accepted 105 residents in 2024, saving them more than $40,000 in property tax increases.

She said the program is already helping hundreds of vulnerable older residents, including those feeling the impact of major infrastructure projects on the Beltline.

The program includes $10 million in funding from the Centennial Yards Housing Trust Fund and support from Tyler Perry.

People who have a household income of 60% or less of the area’s median income qualify. For a two-person household, the income limit is about $55,000 a year, or about $69,000 for a four-person household. They must be age 60 or older and have been homeowners in the city for at least 15 years.

Enrolling was a lifeline for West End homeowner Denise Guinyard, who said she had struggled to keep up with rising taxes.

“It makes it difficult to have that roll into your mortgage. You have to come up with three or four thousand dollars extra a year,” Guinyard said.

She said the program had given her “breathing room” and a chance to manage the stress when it becomes a cost burden to stay in a home.

“I have land. I can plant flowers. I can live. That’s what it’s all about, right?” Guinyard said.