Applications for Cincinnati's Property Tax Relief Program Now Open

Relief is on the way for Cincinnati residents who have fallen behind on property tax payments. Applications are now open for the city’s new property tax relief program, HomeSafe.

Many homeowners across Cincinnati and Hamilton County experienced sticker shock after seeing major increases in their property taxes this year. Bills doubled or even tripled for some, despite just a 10.4% average increase in Hamilton County, with low- to moderate-income residents being impacted the most. As of March 2024, the amount of delinquent property taxes owed in the city totaled over $3.2 million, according to the Hamilton County Recorder’s Office

The HomeSafe Program was created following Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney’s motion to reallocate and transfer $1 million from the Housing Stability Capital Account to the General Fund to provide payment assistance to qualifying households with past-due property taxes.

“Property taxes in many of our neighborhoods have skyrocketed due to the formula that the state uses to calculate taxes. We want to make sure that our residents do not lose their homes,” said Kearney. “I want to thank Mayor Aftab Pureval and his Chief of Staff Keizayla Fambro for their leadership in this effort, and Councilmember Mark Jeffreys for his support in creating the program.”

To qualify for assistance, you must be a homeowner in the city limits, must occupy the home and the home can only have up to four units. You must also be at ​​80% or below the area median income.

To see if you qualify or to apply for the HomeSafe Program, visit choosecincy.com .

Hamilton County Commission President Alicia Reece has also created a tax relief program for county residents. You can learn more about that here .