City Council hosting a series of property tax relief workshops following assessments

Philadelphia City Council members are hosting a series of community events about real estate tax relief in light of the newest set of property assessments, released by the city last month.

The events feature resources and officials from city offices including the Office of Property Assessment, the Department of Revenue, and Community Legal Services. Meetings are being held by Council members in their corresponding districts.

Meetings that have already been held in Southwest and South Philadelphia have averaged about 200 attendees, said Council President Kenyatta Johnson, who has helped organize the workshops.

"We're actually doing tax relief workshops citywide to make sure that residents take advantage of the tax relief we have to offer," Johnson said.

The workshops inform homeowners about the four major tax relief programs offered to homeowners by the city. Also on hand will be staff from the Register of Wills office to help with tangled titles, and staff from the sheriff's office to provide resources for residents in mortgage foreclosure, Johnson said.

Johnson, who has served in City Council since 2011 and became Council president after former Councilmember Darrell L. Clarke retired in 2023, said this is the first coordinated series of City Council workshops on real estate tax relief and other real estate issues to his knowledge.

"These types of bread-and-butter issues hit home," he said. "That's money that's saved that can go toward daycare, that's money that's saved that can go toward buying groceries."

Homeowners can reach their district Council members for more information. Vincent Thompson of Johnson's office said the Council president will also be updating his website as meetings are scheduled.

Property assessments increased the most in working-class areas in Philadelphia , including parts of West and Southwest Philadelphia , and Fairhill, according to an Inquirer analysis of assessment data.

The average bill for homeowners who did not have the homestead exemption — one of the main tax relief programs offered by the city — increased by $614, according to city figures. Citywide, the average tax bill increase will be $330 , according to the city.

Philadelphia offers four primary programs that seek to address rising property tax costs by providing relief to homeowners whose property values increase after assessments.

The homestead exemption reduces a home's value by $100,000, thereby reducing the taxable value of the home. The senior citizen tax freeze is designed for low-income homeowners who are at least 65 and freezes their tax bill, even if the property value increases.

A program for homeowners who have lived in their homes for at least 10 years and whose assessments meet certain criteria helps limit the amount a home's assessed value can increase.

And the newest program mirrors the senior citizen tax freeze, but applies the benefits to low-income Philadelphia homeowners regardless of age.