Neighborhood Empowerment Zones (NEZs)

Neighborhood Empowerment Zones (NEZs) promote housing, economic development and quality services in central Fort Worth. Now there are more reasons than ever to build in Fort Worth thanks to an incentives package recently approved by the City Council for any NEZs designated in the city.

Municipal property tax abatements, fee waivers and release of city liens are available to property owners who build or rehabilitate property within a NEZ. These incentives are designed to promote affordable housing, economic development and expanded services.

Effective immediately, a waiver of water and wastewater impact fees to the developer/ homeowner is only available if other funds have been identified and appropriated to cover those costs. Fort Worth City Code§ 35-70.16(c)

 

 

 

 

Boundary Maps and Strategic Plans

 

NEZ Policy

Following are basic incentives available for all NEZ areas. Download a copy of the Neighborhood Empowerment Zone Program (NEZ) Basic Incentives and Tax Abatement Policy(PDF, 229KB) (Revised January 23, 2024) adopted by the City Council.

Municipal Property Tax Abatement The following properties may qualify for municipal property tax abatements:

  • Owner-occupied property
  • Multi-family development project
  • Commercial, industrial or community facilities development project
  • Mixed-use development project

Fees Waived & Program Eligibility

Download the NEZ Information Document to see the fees waived and program/project eligibility.

      

Apply

Step 1.Application Step-by-Step Instructions 

Step 2.NEZ Application Packets

Step 3.Apply Online

CFW Online Permitting System 

Step 4.Waiting Time 

  • Certification processing for Basic NEZ Incentives is approximately 2-3 weeks.
  • If you are also seeking Tax Abatement please add an additional 12-14 weeks for that process.

Step 5.Contact Information

Telephone: 817-392-7540
Email: nez_ns@fortworthtexas.gov

For more information about NEZ Tax Abatements, call Sarah Odle, 817-392-7316

 

Opt-Out

What if I qualify but do not wish to participate in the program?

The owner of the property will be required to fill out and sign a NEZ Opt-Out packet(PDF, 207KB) acknowledging that they were informed about the program but declined to participate. 

NEZ Opt-Out

Application Fees

Are there any fees associated with participating in this program?

Yes. There is an application fee of $25 for all Basic Incentives excluding tax abatements. The application for residential tax abatements is $100. The application fee for multi-family, commercial, industrial, community facilities and mixed-use development projects is one-half of one percent (0.5 percent) of the proposed Project’s Capital Investment, with a $200 minimum not to exceed $2,000. If you are approved for tax abatements, City staff will work with you to finalize the tax abatement agreement with the City.

 

Contact Us

Phone

817-392-7540

Email

nez_ns@fortworthtexas.gov

Administration

Physical Address
908 Monroe Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102

Administration
817-392-7540 (phone)
817-392-7328 (fax)

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