Guilford County homeowners who are struggling with rising property taxes and other increasing costs of owning a home can now begin applying for a new county grant program – although, for the first month, the program is limited to residents who are at least 65 years old.
Guilford County has opened applications for its new Low Income Homeowner Assistance Grant program, which is intended to help qualifying low-income homeowners deal with increasing homeownership costs.
The program was approved by the Guilford County Board of Commissioners in March and will provide one-time grants paid directly to qualifying homeowners.
County officials say the program is intended to “provide support to low-income homeowners in Guilford County” and help address rising homeownership costs and their impact on residents with lower incomes.
Residents who are 65 and older may apply through Friday, Aug. 15. Beginning Saturday, Aug. 16, the program will open to all qualifying homeowners.
However, county officials are encouraging eligible residents to apply as soon as possible because grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until available funding is exhausted.
To qualify, applicants must own and occupy the home as their primary residence in Guilford County and must have owned it continuously for at least five years.
Applicants also must be the person responsible for paying the property’s taxes.
The home must have had a taxable value of $250,000 or less for the 2025 tax year.
Applicants may not have any outstanding liens, assessments or delinquent property taxes owed to Guilford County and cannot have received assistance from another Guilford County tax assistance program on their 2025 property tax bill.
Income eligibility is based on household size and is limited to households earning no more than 80 percent of the area’s median income. That ranges from $53,200 for a one-person household to $100,350 for an eight-person household.
Grant amounts will be calculated based on the difference between the Guilford County portion of a homeowner’s property taxes paid in 2021 and those paid for the 2025 tax year. County officials say each qualifying household will receive at least $50.
The county emphasized that homeowners remain responsible for paying their property tax bills in full. The grant program does not change a homeowner’s obligation to pay property taxes or the county tax collector’s responsibility to collect delinquent taxes.
The program comes as property taxes and the cost of homeownership have become major concerns for many Guilford County residents in recent years.
Home values have increased significantly across much of the county in recent years, leading many homeowners to face larger property tax bills. County officials say the new grant program is intended to provide some financial relief to qualifying low-income homeowners affected by those rising costs.
Applications may be completed online through the county’s homeowner assistance webpage or by submitting a paper application.
Paper applications are available at the Guilford County Department of Social Services offices at 1203 Maple St. in Greensboro and 325 E. Russell Ave. in High Point.
Completed paper applications may be submitted in person or mailed to the Department of Social Services offices in Greensboro or High Point.
Applications mailed to the Greensboro office should be sent to Guilford County DSS – Greensboro, P.O. Box 3388, Greensboro, NC 27402.
Applications mailed to the High Point office should be sent to Guilford County DSS – High Point, P.O. Box 1142, High Point, NC 27261.
Online applications must be submitted by midnight on Saturday, Oct. 31. Paper applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30. After 5 p.m. Friday, paper applications may be submitted using the secure drop boxes outside either DSS office.
County officials noted that anyone under 65 who applies before Aug. 16 will have the application denied and will have to submit a new application after the program opens to all eligible residents.
For more information, residents may visit GuilfordCountyNC.gov/HomeownerAssistance, email liha@guilfordcountync.gov or call (336) 641-6336.
Catch-22. Raise my taxes to pay the taxes of others ( and support other hand-out costs ).
Why don’t you just reduce the f&(F$)g tax rate? That will benefit everyone. Do you have to politicize everything?
Scott, this applies to all citizens, not just the usual chosen group by county commissioners. Everyone I know is struggling with increased taxes. How about commissioners removing the fluff and pet projects so people can manage to pay their taxes….and provide a real budget with no freebies for the chosen of Guilford County.
Jv
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