A report shows that more than 4,300 families in Detroit avoided losing their homes last year through a program designed to prevent properties from entering a county tax foreclosure auction.
The Quicken Loans Community Fund says Thursday that its 2018 Neighbor to Neighbor initiative involved help from 32 community groups and other organizations and focused on door-to-door outreach to 60,000 families living in tax-delinquent properties.
The report shows that 21% of homeowners canvassed were unaware their property was behind on property taxes. More than 60% of people renting tax-delinquent properties were unaware of the home's tax status.
The Neighbor to Neighbor initiative gave residents information about property tax foreclosure, how to connect to resources and provided property tax exemption workshops.
Quicken Loans Community Fund strategic investments vice president Laura Grannemann says the effort is "stabilizing housing in Detroit, preventing future blight and helping homeowners and occupants find sustainable, long-term solutions for their property tax burdens."