The Berrien County Treasurer’s Office has teamed up with the United Way of Southwest Michigan to set up a new fund to help people in danger of losing their homes due to unpaid taxes. Treasurer Bret Witkowski tells WSJM News the Hopeful Home Fund is inspired by the case of 88-year-old Mildred Gray of Niles. When a story circulated this year about her efforts to save her house, Witkowski says Berrien County came out to help her.
“Mildred was very fortunate, and I think it speaks very well of Berrien County,” Witkowski said. “We had three people offer to pay not just her taxes to get out of foreclosure, but all of her taxes.”
Witkowski says there are others who fall behind on property taxes by three years due to hardships like illness.
“I have had other people in this office who have literally come from the hospital with IVs still in them because they wanted to make sure things were going to be OK,” Witkowski said.
Witkowski says you can donate to the Hopeful Home Fund via the United Way or his office, and the money will be used to help those individuals.
“This fund is not set up because people have made poor choices in life,” Witkowski said. “This is set up to help people who have choices in front of them that they can’t avoid.”
When making a donation, specify that you want the money to go to the Hopeful Home Fund. Witkowski says state law doesn’t allow him to just give a break to those facing hardship, adding the courts are little help.
