#Middlebury #MyHomeCT #FoodBank
By MARJORIE NEEDHAM
Middlebury’s tax bills for homes and vehicles started showing up in mailboxes June 18. This year’s tax increases added on top of a pandemic, rising gasoline and fuel oil prices and rising grocery costs may make living in Middlebury impossible for some residents. One senior citizen told Social/Senior Services Director JoAnn Cappelletti they might need to move elsewhere because they couldn’t afford to live here anymore.
We asked Cappelletti and Assessor Chris Kelsey about programs that might help residents who are struggling financially. Then Selectman Ralph Barra told us about a Connecticut Housing Finance Authority program to aid homeowners. It’s called MyHomeCT and is funded by $123 million in federal American Rescue Plan dollars awarded to the state.
Like most financial aid programs, the amount of money that can be awarded is based on family size and household income, but the maximum one-time grant is $30,000. This program, launched in May 2022 and available on a “first-come, first-served” basis, may prove helpful to residents who, because of COVID, have gotten behind on mortgage or other home-related payments.
Its website, chfa.org/myhomect, says “The goal of MyHomeCT is to cure mortgage delinquencies and defaults, and prevent foreclosures among eligible homeowners that occurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program also includes assistance for qualified non-mortgage expenses including, but not limited to, non-escrowed real estate taxes and insurance as well as condominium or homeowners’ association fees.”
Neighborhood Housing Services of Waterbury, which serves as a resource center for Middlebury residents seeking assistance with their applications, is at 193 Grand St., 3rd Floor, in Waterbury. The phone number there is 203-753-1896, and the website is nhswaterbury.org. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are available before 3 p.m. Hours are Monday to Wednesday, 8:45 am – 5 pm; Thursday 8:45 am – 7 pm; and Friday, 8:45 am – 12:45 pm.
Locally, Cappelletti has been helping residents find financial help for 40 years. She noted the circuit breaker program that helped with property taxes is being phased out, but a Homeowners Tax Credit is offered to those who are disabled or 65 and older. It’s too late to help with this year’s property taxes (the application period for that was from February 1 to May 15), but the program, which is income and marital status based, gave up to a 50% maximum tax credit for households with the lowest income for the 2020 benefit year. The income cap for 2020 was $45,800. She said veterans get property tax assistance through two programs handled by the assessor’s office, veteran’s discount and additional veteran’s benefit.
Fuel assistance to help with electric, fuel oil, natural gas and water bills also is available. Operation Fuel, taking applications for heating fuel assistance from July 1 to November 1, provides heating expenses in the form of one-time grants for households with incomes at or below 75% of the State Median Income guidelines who are in crisis.
The Middlebury Food Bank aims to supplement clients’ grocery shopping by once a month visits. The amount per client is based on family size.
Those struggling with high gasoline prices may qualify for help through the emergency fund. That fund usually helps out with utility bills when they aren’t covered by any of the other programs.
Cappelletti encourages residents to contact her to find out if they qualify for any of the programs. “Give me a call,” she said. “If it’s a question of pride or privacy, we can make arrangements to meet in the evening. We’ll try to accommodate you.”
She said helping residents is what her office is there for and that’s what the funding is for. She can be reached at 203-577-4166, ext. 3, Monday to Friday from 9 am to 1 pm. Voice mail messages are returned as soon as possible.
Assessor Kelsey said he didn’t receive as many calls about the increases in property and motor vehicle taxes as he had expected. He said both new and used car values have increased. He said when he had to buy a new vehicle after blowing a transmission, he had to pay $1,100 over the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. Looking in the 2020 and 2021 car value books, he showed that this reporter’s 10-year-old subcompact vehicle increased in value more than $1,000 over one year.
As for property values, Kelsey said getting an assessment changed is possible if something is wrong with the property’s field card (wrong number of bathrooms, for example). The assessor can, after verifying the correct information, adjust the assessment and the taxes.
It’s too late to change the revaluation itself. Property owners had the opportunity to question that in October 2021 when formal notices of the changes went out. First, they could have contacted Vision Appraisal through an informal appeal. Then they could have appeared before the Board of Assessment Appeals in February and requested an adjustment. Kelsey said 42 property owners did that and some adjustments were made.
With the cost of living increasing in so many areas, readers may find themselves needing financial assistance they have never needed before. This newspaper will try to provide information to help them find that assistance.
