LANSING – State Rep. Henry Yanez (D-Sterling Heights) introduced legislation today to extend the recently approved property tax credit for disabled veteran homeowners to disabled veterans who rent or lease their homes.
“The new law exempting 100 percent disabled veterans from property tax liability unfortunately does not cover these disabled veterans who rent or lease a home, and that is an oversight that, I believe, must be fixed,” said Yanez. “Renters are just as deserving as homeowners, and we should take quick action to extend the property tax so that we cover all 100 percent disabled veterans.”
Public Act 161 was signed into law in November 2013 after passing unanimously in both the state Senate and House of Representatives. Yanez’s bill, House Bill 5278 would, as PA 161 does for homeowners, exempt 100 percent disabled veterans and, under certain circumstances, their widows from property tax liability. The bill sets a formula to determine how much property tax a renter or lessee pays and, therefore, how much of a credit they are entitled to.
“If we are going to offer more help to disabled veterans, then we should offer it to all of them,” said Yanez. “Those who rent or lease have the same financial stresses that homeowners do. With PA 161, we chose to do the right thing and offer more help for our veterans. Now we need to do the right thing again by eliminating this double standard and offer that same help to 100 percent disabled veterans who rent or lease their home.”