Guilford County homeowners who’ve been watching their property tax bills climb in recent years may be able to get some of that money back from the county.

Beginning on Sunday, Aug. 16, Guilford County’s Low-Income Homeowner Assistance Grant program will open to all homeowners who meet the program’s income and other eligibility requirements.

The program opened July 15 exclusively to residents 65 and older – giving seniors a 30-day head start. Now the age restriction is going away and any qualifying homeowner can apply.

The Guilford County Board of Commissioners approved the Department of Social Services grant program on March 27 as a way to help lower-income homeowners deal with the rising cost of owning a home. The grants are one-time payments made directly to homeowners.

Perhaps most importantly for anyone who qualifies and plans to apply, this isn’t a program where waiting until the deadline is a good idea. The county says grants will be awarded in the order that complete applications are received and will continue only until the available money runs out.

To qualify, a homeowner’s household income can’t exceed 80 percent of the area median income. That means the maximum income ranges from $53,200 for a one-person household to $100,350 for a household of eight. The limits in between are $60,800 for two people, $68,400 for three, $76,000 for four, $82,100 for five, $88,200 for six and $94,250 for seven.

There are quite a few strings attached.  For instance, applicants must own and occupy the Guilford County home as their primary residence and must have owned it for at least five consecutive years. They must also be the person responsible for paying the property taxes.

The home’s total property tax value for the 2025 tax year can’t be more than $250,000.

There also can’t be any outstanding liens, assessments or delinquent Guilford County taxes on the home – and applicants can’t have received assistance from another Guilford County tax assistance program for their 2025 tax bill.

The amount of an individual grant will be based on the difference between the Guilford County property taxes the homeowner paid in 2021 and those paid in 2025.

The grant doesn’t eliminate a homeowner’s obligation to pay the property tax bill. County officials specifically note that the program doesn’t change the requirement that property taxes be paid in full or prevent the Tax Department from collecting delinquent taxes.

Applications will remain open through Saturday, Oct. 31 – assuming the money lasts that long.

Residents can apply online at GuilfordCountyNC.gov/HomeownerAssistance.

Those who prefer to use paper can pick up an application at either Guilford County Department of Social Services office – 1203 Maple St. in Greensboro or 325 E. Russell Ave. in High Point.

Completed applications can also be mailed to Guilford County DSS at P.O. Box 3388, Greensboro, NC 27402, or P.O. Box 1142, High Point, NC 27261.

Online applications must be submitted by midnight Saturday, Oct. 31.

The county’s DSS offices will accept paper applications until 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30. After that, applications can still be placed in the secure drop box outside either DSS office through the Halloween deadline.

More information, including an eligibility quiz, is available at GuilfordCountyNC.gov/HomeownerAssistance. Residents can also email liha@guilfordcountync.gov or call 336-641-6336.

And, since the county is handing out the grants in the order complete applications arrive, qualifying homeowners probably shouldn’t circle Oct. 31 on the calendar as the day to get started on this.

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