Mecklenburg County Department of Community Resources staff told the Huntersville Town Board on Sept. 16 that the county's HOMES program is accepting applications to provide property-tax relief to qualifying homeowners and urged residents to apply before the program's Nov. 21 deadline.

The presentation explained who is eligible, how much assistance is available this year, and where Huntersville residents can apply or get help completing forms.

Yvonne Reed, program coordinator with the Department of Community Resources, said the HOMES program can provide up to $650 per household this year and noted an additional $534 is available to residents of Davidson through a local supplement. Reed said last year the county awarded about $4 million through the program after processing 5,429 applications, and that as of Aug. 28 the county had approved 114 applications from Huntersville households totaling $66,876. "Applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis," Reed said, and the application season runs from July 1 through Nov. 21; in-person applications are accepted until 5 p.m. on the deadline and online applications until 11:59 p.m.

Reed reviewed income and residency rules that determine eligibility. A single-person household must have 2024 income at or below $62,850, and an eight-person household must have income at or below $118,500, figures Reed said come from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development guidance. Properties must be located in Mecklenburg County and be the owner's primary legal residence for at least three consecutive years; applicants must provide household income documentation (W-2s, 1099s, SSA 1099, pension paperwork). Reed said households with more than one delinquent tax bill are ineligible until overdue taxes are paid, and that funds cannot be applied to a $0 tax balance (in which case any award is rolled to the next year).

Reed said county staff provide application assistance at the Department of Community Resources office at 3205 Freedom Drive, Building A, and by phone at (980) 314-4663; county navigators also do outreach at parks, festivals and churches. She said the county partners with local nonprofits and faith groups to accept and assist with on-site applications. Reed and staff answered questions from the board and residents about whether veterans' exemptions or other tax programs affect eligibility; Reed said veterans receiving certain county tax exemptions (including the homestead exclusion program for qualifying seniors) are generally ineligible for the HOMES grant and that staff refer seniors to the homestead program when appropriate.

Board members and residents asked whether county staff could help applicants obtain specific pay records or Employment Security Commission wage reports; Reed said county staff do not access those state wage records for applicants and that applicants must supply required documentation themselves. Reed also identified her departmental supervisors by name: Yolanda DeGriffin, director of the Department of Community Resources; Dalisa Tolbert, deputy director; and manager Shakira Francis (noted as the onsite manager who covers applications).

The board did not take action on the presentation; the session functioned as a public information item and Q&A. Residents and board members were directed to the county website for more details and to the county's outreach calendar for in-person assistance prior to the Nov. 21 deadline.

ACTIONS, DISCUSSION AND NEXT STEPS: This was an informational presentation and not a formal board action. Discussion items included clarifications of eligibility, partners for outreach, and the county's documentation requirements. No town-level directive or motion was recorded.

ENDING: Huntersville residents who believe they qualify were directed to apply online or in person before Nov. 21 and to contact Mecklenburg County Department of Community Resources for help completing the application.