Detroit Says Problems With Property Tax Assessments are Fixed. Advocates Disagree.

With higher-valued properties under assessed and lower-valued properties over assessed, advocates say there's still a problem with Detroit's property tax system.

1 minute read

July 6, 2025, 5:00 AM PDT

By Shelterforce


Row of older brick houses in Detroit with front porches and front lawns.

Homes in Detroit, Michigan. | janet / Adobe Stock

Despite the city's claims that Detroit’s property tax assessments are now accurate, advocates argue the system still overtaxes lower-valued homes — disproportionately harming Black homeowners and threatening generational wealth.

The article follows Tahira Ahmad, a lifelong Detroiter who claims she has overpaid more than $30,000 in taxes due to an overassessment. Her story reflects a larger crisis: between 2011–2015, over 100,000 Detroit homes were foreclosed due to unpaid property taxes — an issue a researcher calls “legal violence.”

Advocates are demanding reforms, compensation for overpaid taxes, and stronger oversight to address what they say is an ongoing injustice.

Monday, June 16, 2025 in Shelterforce Magazine

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