Low-income seniors who own property are being encouraged to take advantage of financial assistance that can help them keep their homes in Davidson County.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Low-income seniors who own property are being encouraged to take advantage of financial assistance that can help them keep their homes in Davidson County.
The Property Tax Relief and Property Tax Freeze programs are state and metro government-funded initiatives aimed at reducing tax payments for homeowners.
The relief program reduces property tax payments through credits. It’s different from the tax freeze which eliminates the burden of future property taxes by locking in the same tax payment amount going forward. The Tax Freeze program has a new qualifying income limit of $60,000. It was previously $47,750. Metro Trustee Erica Gilmore said this historic increase is the largest ever, resulting in thousands more residents being able to save their homes and keep Nashville home.
“We know that taxes are a necessary part of running our city and running our government. And you know, in essence, it’s a system where everyone is paying into the collective good for the residents of our city, and we want to do that as equitable as possible,” said Metro Nashville Council Member At Large Delishia Porterfield. “We also want to make sure that we’re providing relief for individuals who may not have the ability to pay into that system. “
Metro council appropriated almost $7 million in the fiscal year 2025 operating budget to the Property Tax Relief program, continuing what’s become a routine decision for many years. Porterfield said she’s gotten letters and phone calls from residents over the years about how much this benefits their lives.
“I received a call one year from a woman who said that she was struggling to figure out how she was going to pay for her medication that month, and then she got her reimbursement check back, and it just brought tears to her eyes,” Porterfield recalled. “I heard from another person whose husband had just recently passed away, and she wasn’t sure how she was going to be able to float things, and that check came back for her. So it’s very important that this makes a difference in in people’s lives. “
Trustee Gilmore said on Friday that there were just over a dozen spots remaining in a sign-up event for the property tax relief and tax freeze programs, and 800 people have enrolled so far. It’s Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to noon at the Senior Renaissance Center on Park Avenue. Registration is required.