City extends deadline for special assessment hardship assistance

City extends deadline for special assessment hardship assistance

Published on September 11, 2026

The City of Gainesville is extending its special assessment Hardship Assistance Program to give low-income and senior homeowners more time to apply for reductions in the fire, stormwater and solid waste assessments appearing on their November 2026 property tax bills.

Although the fire assessment has been included on city property tax bills since 2010, the stormwater and solid waste special assessments are new additions. Those charges had been folded into monthly customer billing statements from Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) until the Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority decided to end the practice at their meeting on May 13, 2026.

Due to the impact of the new annual billing method, the city is encouraging neighbors to check if they're eligible for the city's Non-Ad Valorem Assessment Hardship Assistance Program (NAVAHAP). Income and asset eligibility requirements are listed in the Hardship Assistance section of the city website. Those who think they may qualify are asked to contact the City of Gainesville's Revenues & Receivables Office at 352-334-5024 or [email protected]. The application deadline is Sept. 30, 2026.

"We realize this is a significant difference for many of our neighbors," said Interim City Manager Andrew Persons. "Extending the hardship assistance deadline gives people additional time to understand the change, determine whether they qualify and apply."

Property owners who don't qualify for hardship assistance but want to spread out their property tax and special assessment payments have the option of making statutory partial payments to the Alachua County Tax Collector from November 2026 through March 2027. There is no charge per payment. More information is available by contacting the Alachua County Tax Collector.

For those already making plans for next year, the Alachua County Tax Collector's installment plan allows property owners to choose to pre-pay in installments. Although the deadline for the November 2026 tax bill has passed, 2027 registration details will be available at Property Taxes - Alachua County Tax Collector beginning this November and will include early payment discounts.

Additional information about the City of Gainesville's fire, stormwater and solid waste special assessments is available on the Special Assessments for Services section of the city's website.

• Affordable Housing
• Announcements
• Media Releases