Property tax relief expansion offered to California homeowners

Aug. 16—Eligibility requirements for property tax relief have been expanded in order to provide assistance to homeowners struggling to make housing payments.

The California Mortgage Relief Program is offering a one-time grant that will allow homeowners to catch up on past-due property tax or mortgage payments due to financial issues brought on by COVID-19.

Assistance will now include coverage for past-due property taxes for homeowners with and without current mortgages. Those who qualify can receive up to $20,000 for property tax relief, according to a press release.

"I am excited to partner with the expansion of this program to assist homeowners through offsetting some of the financial hardships they may have experienced during the pandemic," Yuba County Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan Mierzwa said in a statement.

According to the program website, homeowners must have experienced a pandemic-related financial hardship and be at least one payment behind on their property taxes as of May 31 to qualify for financial relief.

Others may also qualify for mortgage relief if they have missed at least two mortgage payments prior to June 30, and are currently delinquent, according to officials. The original requirement date was Dec. 21, 2021, but has since been extended. Those who are eligible for mortgage relief can receive up to $80,000, the website said.

Homeowners must also meet income requirements set by their county in order to qualify.

Their household income must be at or below 150% of their county's area median income. A calculator to determine income requirements based on family size is available on the program website.

Homeowners can check if they are eligible for property tax or mortgage relief by visiting CaMortgageRelief.org. An application for funding is available for those who pass a pre-screening test.