Tyler Perry Gives Back To Atlanta Legacy Residents In A Major Way With $2.75 Million Donation

Say what you want about Tyler Perry but you can’t say he doesn’t give back to the community that supports him. The renowned actor, filmmaker, studio owner and philanthropist has made a significant donation of $2.75 million to help prevent senior citizen homeowners in Atlanta from being displaced. Read more details inside.

A report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday (Feb. 15) details how Perry’s donation will provide assistance to the city’s low income senior residents near his studio. The entrepreneur noticed the rising property taxes in their area making it harder for these legacy residents to stay in the neighborhood. Many of the residents are on the brink of losing their homes.

A portion of Perry’s $2.75 million donation has already began helping these residents. Perry gave $750,000 of that donation to pay off all property taxes for 300 low-income seniors in Atlanta. It will cover not only city taxes, but back county and school taxes as well.

In a statement, the Atlanta mayor’s office said the funds will also freeze property taxes for 100 low-income seniors as it will help pay “the difference between present day property taxes and property tax increases” through a pilot program.

Perry has gone the extra mile by committing to a $500,000 donation each year for the next four years to ensure the senior residents are not faced with further increases.

The funds will be administered by Invest Atlanta Partnership — a “registered local government authority [that] can receive charitable donations” — which works to strengthen the city’s economy and global authority, according to its website.

Perry initial move was to reach out to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens to discuss how he could provide aid for senior residents on fixed incomes who could potentially lose their homes if unable to pay their taxes.

“Atlanta’s growth and prosperity should not come at the expense of our legacy residents — many of whom have been priced out of their homes in previous years,” Dickens noted in the statement to AJC.

Perry has been adamant about contributing to the local residents. Dickens notated how he continued to make an effort for the neighborhood he occupies.

“Tyler Perry has been engaged in our ongoing conversations around legacy resident retention, and he told me he wanted to do something to support these efforts,” Dickens continued. “Thanks to his generosity, more Atlantans will be able to remain in the communities they built.”

In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Perry shared a screenshot of the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s report and thanked Dickens and Invest Atlanta for their efforts on the issue.

“So… I knew that the success of my studio would affect all the property values around it. But make no mistake the seniors on fixed incomes around the studio will not lose their homes because of past due or rising taxes… no sir!!” he wrote in the post. “We ain’t doing that to our legacy.”

“Thank you Mayor Dickens and Invest Atlanta for caring about our folks,” he added. “God bless.”

Check out Tyler Perry’s post below: