Who qualifies for the program?
All four conditions have to be met:
- DeKalb County resident
- Age 62 or older
- Owns the property and occupies it as a primary residence
- Household income at or below 60% of Area Median Income, a maximum of $68,520 for a family of four
How do you apply?
Three routes, all through DeKalb County rather than through a contractor:
- In person at 178 Sams St., Suite A3500, Decatur, GA 30030
- By phone on 404.371.2693, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm
- By mail, using a pre-application card
Is there a deadline?
No fixed deadline appears on the county's announcement. What the county does state is that funds are limited, which makes the practical advice simple: apply as early as possible rather than waiting for a cut-off that may never be published.
Because the program is county-funded and county-administered, eligibility details and application windows can change. Confirm the current position with the Department of Community Development before relying on anything written here.
What the program covers, and what it does not
The program targets dangerous trees specifically, which is a much narrower category than general tree work. Routine pruning, healthy-tree removal, and landscaping sit outside what it was set up to fund.
A tree that qualifies as dangerous under an assessment is also the category most likely to be exempt from the DeKalb permit requirement, though that exemption still needs a certified assessment to document it.
Related conditions in DeKalb County
Sources
- DeKalb County announcement, Dangerous Tree Removal Program for Senior Citizens: https://dekalbcountyga.gov/news/dekalb-county-announces-dangerous-tree-removal-program-senior-citizens