
Filmmaker Tyler Perry is donating $2.5 million to ensure senior citizens in Atlanta can keep their homes amid a growing housing crisis.
The Associated Press reported that Perry reached out to Atlanta Mayor Andrew Dickens to discuss what could be done to provide assistance to residents on fixed incomes who are at risk of losing their housing due to rising real estate taxes in the state.
Perry’s plan would pay the property taxes for 300 low-income senior citizens to thwart the displacement. The funds would cover city, county and school taxes.
Perry has already donated $750,000 for the first year to cover back taxes. He’s pledged to pay $500,000 over the next four years, for a total of $2.5 million. Perry shared he would also cover any increase in taxes over the next 20 years for 100 low-income seniors.
On Instagram, Perry shared he wanted to create an impactful legacy.
Mayor Dickens thanked Perry for his philanthropy, “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. 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. Thanks to his generosity, more Atlantans will be able to remain in the communities they built,” the statement read.
Perry has a long history pf philanthropy and charity. In 2021, he received the Humanitarian Award at the 2021 Oscars. You can watch his acceptance speech below.