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.

NEZ Announcements

Effective immediately, the waiver of water and wastewater impact fees to the developer/homeowner is no longer available. Fort Worth City Code 35-70.16(c)

Boundary Maps and Strategic Plans

Boundary Maps

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, 224KB) adopted by the City Council on February 11, 2025.

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.

NEZ Information Document(PDF, 175KB)

Apply

Step 1.Application Step-by-Step Instructions

Download step-by-step instructions on how to apply online.(PDF, 2MB)

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 two to three weeks.
If you are also seeking a tax abatement, please add an additional 12-14 weeks for that process.

Step 5.Contact Information

Telephone: 817-392-7744
Email: nez_ns@fortworthtexas.gov

For more information about NEZ Tax Abatements, call Sarah Odle at 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 an NEZ Opt-Out packet(PDF, 207KB) acknowledging that they were informed about the program but declined to participate.

Download instructions on how to Opt-Out. (PDF, 1MB)

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 multifamily, commercial, industrial, community facilities and mixed-use development projects is one-half of 1% (0.5%) 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.

Contact Us

Phone

817-392-7744

Email

nez_ns@fortworthtexas.gov

Administration

Phone

817-392-7540

Location

Neighborhood Services Department

City Hall

100 Fort Worth Trail

Fort Worth 76102

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Mission & Vision

Building strong neighborhoods by empowering residents with housing, community development and social services.

Deliver the nation’s best services and community development to residents and neighborhoods that need it most.

Stategic Plans

The Neighborhood Conservation Plan and Housing Affordability Strategy offers a comprehensive roadmap to enhance Fort Worth neighborhoods and address the affordable housing challenge.

Download the Plan(PDF, 43MB)

Fair & Affordable Housing

Fair housing laws ensure individuals and families attempting to buy, sell, lease or finance a home are treated equally. Fair housing laws protect individuals from discrimination based on their race, color, national origin, religion, familial status, gender and disability. The availability of affordable housing in communities where those individuals and families want to live, however, can severely limit fair housing choice.

Housing is considered affordable when the total cost of housing — including rent/mortgage and utilities — is below 30% of household income.

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