Treasurer Maria Pappas and ABC 7 Chicago will host "Black and Latino Houses Matter" on March 11, 2021, a phone bank to help Cook County homeowners find refunds, apply for property tax exemptions and avoid the Tax Sale, Pappas said today.

"I am grateful to ABC 7 for participating in my program to return money to taxpayers and prevent them from losing their homes because of unpaid taxes," Pappas said. "While the Tax Sale disproportionately impacts Black and Latino homeowners, all Cook County homeowners are welcome to call the phone bank."

John Idler, President and General Manager of ABC 7 Chicago, said: "It’s gratifying to join forces with the Treasurer's Office to help Cook County homeowners get much needed information and resources, especially in Black and Latino communities hardest hit by the pandemic. The phone bank will go a long way to provide struggling homeowners assistance and reaffirms that working together to help our community makes us all stronger."

Here are the phone bank details:

Date:                   March 11, 2021

Time:                   3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Phone Number:  312.603.5105

Samantha Chatman, a consumer investigative reporter with ABC 7’s I-Team, will report on the phone bank during the station’s newscasts. A team from the Treasurer’s Office, fluent in Spanish, Polish, Chinese and English, will:

• Search $76 million in available property tax refunds
• Check if you are eligible for $46 million in missing tax exemptions
• Verify if your property is on the Tax Sale list with delinquent taxes