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Real Estate Tax Relief
Charlottesville Housing Affordability Program (CHAP)
In an effort to promote and preserve home-ownership, the Charlottesville City Council offers grants to homeowners who may not otherwise qualify for the City’s elderly and disabled tax relief programs. These grants help offset the financial hardships faced by many homeowners due to rising real estate assessments. The application period to apply for this program runs from July 1 - September 1.
Qualifications:
- You must be the legal owner AND occupant of the residence as of January 1, 2021 through September 1, 2021;
- You may not own any other real estate;
- You must be in good standing on a payment plan with the Treasurer’s Office if you owe delinquent taxes;
- The current year 2021 assessed value on your home must be below $375,000;
- Your 2020 IRS Federal Adjusted Gross Income must be less than $55,000;
- You must not be currently enrolled in the Real Estate Relief Program for the Elderly and Disabled.
Apply for CHAP:
The Charlottesville Housing Affordability Program online application is now available.
Before you begin the application online be sure to have all necessary documentation ready to be uploaded electronically.
Apply for the Charlottesville Housing Affordability Program online.
Documentation needed:
- Your 2020 IRS Federal Tax Return or other income documentation if you did not file a return for 2020.
- Your spouses 2020 IRS Federal Tax return if you’re married and also filed separately for 2020.
- Income documentation for any other owners of the property for which you are seeking relief who also reside at the property
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT RELATED TO COVID-19:
In order to reduce the number of applicants required to visit City Hall, applicants who were approved for this program in 2020 can have their income and net worth information automatically rolled over for the current year (2021) application. In other words, if you were approved for real estate tax relief last year (2020) and wish to avoid coming to City Hall or applying online, please contact our office at 434-970-3160. You will be asked to verify your identity and affirm your intention to re-apply for 2021 using LAST YEAR'S data.
Real Estate Relief for the Elderly & Disabled
If you own and are living in your home in the City of Charlottesville and are 65 years of age or older, or are permanently disabled, and have a yearly income of $55,000 or less and a net worth of $125,000 or less, you may qualify for Real Estate Tax Relief. Net worth excludes the fair market value of the home in which you live.
The Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office begins taking applications on February 1 each year. The deadline for application is March 1.
Documents
Disabled Veterans
If you are a disabled veteran you may qualify for an exemption from Real Estate Tax if the following criteria is met:
- Real estate must be owned or jointly owned with a spouse by the veteran.
- The real estate must be occupied by the veteran as his/her primary place of residence.
- The veteran must have been rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or its successor agency to have a 100% service-connected, permanent and total disability.
The surviving spouse of an eligible veteran may also qualify provided the death of the veteran occurs after January 1, 2011, the surviving spouse does not remarry, and the surviving spouse continues to occupy the real estate as his/her primary place of residence. See the Disabled Veteran’s Real Estate Tax Exemption Application (PDF) to begin the application process or for more information.
For More Information
For further information regarding the Charlottesville Housing Affordability Program, Real Estate Relief for Elderly or Disabled, or Disabled Veteran’s Real Estate Tax Exemption, please call 434-970-3160.