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Treasurer asks board to seed $50,000 foreclosure prevention grant to aid homeowner emergencies
Summary
Kalamazoo County Treasurer Thomas Whitener requested a one‑time $50,000 allocation from county general funds to provide emergency foreclosure prevention grants and support expanded outreach and case management for homeowners at risk.
Kalamazoo County Treasurer Thomas Whitener asked the Board of Commissioners on March 18 to allocate $50,000 in one‑time general‑fund support for a foreclosure‑prevention grant administered by the treasurer’s office.
"We're asking for your support ... for a foreclosure prevention grant in the amount of $50,000 to be allocated out of the county's general operating funds," Whitener told the board. He described outreach efforts, extension agreements and a case‑management approach intended to keep owner‑occupants in their homes.
Whitener said the treasurer’s office has executed extension agreements with 106 parcels as of the meeting and identified more than 30 properties where owners likely qualify for the poverty exemption (principal residence exemption) that could permanently reduce future property taxes if granted. He said many homeowners in the list include seniors, disabled residents, single parents, veterans and caregivers.
The treasurer described a suite of operational tools: automated outreach using the county’s mass‑notification system, door‑to‑door site visits and an ArcGIS mapping workflow to prioritize contacts; a case‑management dashboard that tracks compliance with 60‑day extension agreements; fillable PRE affidavits mailed to homeowners who appear to qualify; and a Microsoft Bookings link in the treasurer’s office to let taxpayers schedule a foreclosure prevention meeting.
Whitener outlined proposed eligibility criteria for the grant funds. Recipients would be owner‑occupants with a demonstrated qualifying hardship such as loss of primary income due to illness, hospitalization, incarceration, death or disability; a reduction of fixed income; a high likelihood of remaining out of foreclosure based on prior compliance and no prior use of program funds; and a demonstrated willingness to work with the treasurer on a recovery plan.
Commissioners expressed support for the program and asked staff to provide regular data. Vice Chair Taylor and others urged a single, visible dashboard and suggested the program begin as one‑time seed funding with clear reporting and performance targets that would inform budget decisions for future years.
Ending: Whitener said staff will work with finance to establish the fund (finance suggested either a one‑time enterprise fund or a new general‑fund activity depending on whether the board intends ongoing support) and develop reporting that will be shared with commissioners.
