Hollywood director Tyler Perry is pledging $2.75 million to help Atlanta’s elderly residents hold on to their homes.
Weeks back, Perry reached out to Atlanta Mayor Andrew Dickens to discuss how he could aid residents on fixed incomes who could lose their homes due to climbing real estate taxes. Perry’s multi-million dollar donation will cover city, country and school taxes and any surplus in taxes over the next two decades for 100 low-income older residents. He has already donated $750,000 for the first year to cover back taxes, continuing to pay $500,000 over the next four years.
Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta sits on a sprawling 330 acres and has an airport terminal, a golf course, a strip mall, two baseball fields and a residential neighborhood. The land also boasts a near-exact replica of the White House and even has its own exit sign on Georgia State Route 166. Of course, the studios have become a tourist attraction and have not only led to a hike in local housing prices but inevitable gentrification efforts.
In a post on Instagram, Perry acknowledged that he is part of the problem.
“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!!” Perry captioned the post. “We ain’t doing that to our legacy. Thank you Mayor Dickens and Invest Atlanta for caring about our folks. God bless.”
The funds will be distributed by Invest Atlanta Partnership, the nonprofit wing of the city’s economic development authority.
Perry has always strived to support the elderly community. In 2020, he made headlines after he surprised thousands of shoppers by picking up their grocery tabs. Perry paid for groceries at 44 Kroger stores in Atlanta, where he started his career in theater. The New Orleans native also paid for groceries at 29 Winn-Dixie stores across Louisiana during at-risk shopping hours.
