On Aug 19, Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield and Wayne County Treasurer Eric Sabree announced the return of the PAYS (Pay As You Stay) program in Wayne County. The PAYS program is a manageable pathway for all Detroit and Wayne County homeowners and residents to reduce their delinquent past property taxes and help prevent foreclosure for thousands of families. “Our mission today is simple. We are here collectively because we do not want anyone in this city to lose their home or property to foreclosure.” Sheffield said. Likewise, this program has helped many individuals and families who have struggled in the past to pay or stay up to date with their property taxes due to low income or troubling circumstances.

Paul and Lisa Hamilton were just one of those many cases. In 2018, Lisa’s Husband, Paul got injured at work, forcing her to take time off her job in order to take care of him. With both of them on leave for almost a year and a half, their property taxes fell through and they soon feared they would lose their house to foreclosure. “Life looked a little difficult for us, we were behind on our taxes, and my childhood dream house, right next door to my mother, fell into foreclosure.” Lisa explains when sharing what life looked like for them back then.

However, when Lisa heard about the Wayne County Treasurer’s program and was told to apply for the city’s HOPE program she qualified for PAYS. She states, “Not only did the PAYS program eliminate my delinquent taxes, but the Gilbert Foundation Tax Relief Fund paid off the risk.” Showing just how successful PAYS truly is. Today, Lisa gets to keep her dream house and shares that Paul is recovering well.

After PAYS expired on June 30, 2025, many families lacked the support Paul and Lisa had when it came to paying their homeowner taxes. Therefore, The Michigan Association of County Treasury and several individual county treasurers’ lobbied the Michigan legislature to continue the program that keeps homeowner occupied residents in their homes and the results were a success. “PAYS has been successful throughout the county and we needed to continue being there for families like Paul and Lisa’s. People who legitimately fall upon difficult times due to the economy or an illness, or other circumstances beyond their control.” Sabree told reporters.

In order to see if a Homeowners qualify for the PAYS program, their first step must be to see if they are eligible for the HOPE program, which would help them receive property tax exemption based on housing income and circumstances. In Detroit, homeowners who are eligible for local property tax exemptions through the HOPE program can once again be automatically qualified for the Wayne County PAYS tax reduction. Through this, homeowners can have their pay reduced amount in full with another 10% reduction or following a 3 year payment plan. The tax reduction will help eliminate a significant percentage of delinquent taxes and provide homeowners with a reasonable payment plan for the future. Willie Donwell, the director of the HOPE program states, “This is a systematic approach to help individuals struggling with property taxes.” Claiming that if you file for HOPE in 2026 you can also receive assistance for 2025.

Through the generous funding of the Gilbert Family foundation this vision is helped realized. Darnell Adams, the vice President of the foundation states, “At the Gilbert Family Foundation, we firmly believe that stable housing is the foundation for everything that follows.” and due to this belief, the PAYS program has helped 18,000 Detroit property owners and families keep their homes since 2020. To see if you qualify for the HOPE program, contact HOPE by calling them at 866-313-2520 or emailing at DetroitMI.gov /HOPE for a chance at a financially better future. You can also visit them in person at their Healthy Homes event on Sept. 19 from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. All you need to bring with you is proof of ownership for your home, proof of income for all household members, and proof of identification or residence for all household members. “When our neighborhoods are strong, our city is stronger.” Says Sheffeild promoting a homeowner stress free future.