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Moorhead staff briefs EDA on Make Moorhead Home property-tax rebate and outcomes
Summary
City staff reviewed the Make Moorhead Home rebate that refunds the first two years of property taxes for newly built homes, including program history, participation, and recent outcomes: about $61 million in added value and roughly $888,000 in rebates for homes reported.
Lisa Bodie briefed the Moorhead Economic Development Authority on the Make Moorhead Home property-tax rebate program, saying the program—established in 2009—rebates the first two years of property taxes for newly constructed homes and is intended to incentivize new housing starts and expand the city’s property-tax base.
Bodie explained the program structure: homeowners pay taxes up front and receive a rebate in November after the second year; the city, county and local school district each participate by foregoing tax revenue for that two-year rebate. She said Moorhead’s program refunds the full property-tax value for qualifying new homes, unlike some neighboring cities that limit the refund to a portion of assessed value.
The program runs on two-year cycles so taxing jurisdictions can review its effectiveness, Bodie said. She reported that homes approved in 2024 include rebates being made to owners of 94 homes completed in 2021 and 93 homes completed in 2022; those homes added more than $61,000,000 in value to the city and the total cost of rebates for that set was $888,000.
Bodie also said the city formerly offered a home-improvement rebate element that saw limited uptake and has been discontinued; the city continues other home-rehab and financing options such as a community development block grant program and a partnership with Gate City Bank. She cited 2024 single-family housing starts of 55—Bodie said that was the highest single-family total since 2015—but said it is unclear whether the rebate itself is moving the marketplace.
No action was taken at the meeting; EDA members expressed support for continuing the program and expanding marketing so potential buyers and real-estate professionals know the incentive exists.
