The Bucks County Commissioners last month approved a new partnership between the Bucks County Tax Claim Bureau and the nonprofit Credit Counseling Center.
The program helps taxpayers find affordable repayment plans and offers free financial literacy counseling.
The partnership between the Bucks County Tax Claim Bureau and the Credit Counseling Center intends to help taxpayers keep their homes while they’re paying back delinquent taxes.
Kristin Nielsen, the director of the Tax Claim Bureau, explained how many families have found themselves in a tax cycle they cannot break free of. As they face mounting delinquent taxes, they struggle to keep their family home. This new partnership can act as a lifeline for taxpayers in this situation.
“The object is to get them turned around on delinquent taxes, give them some time in an affordable fashion to get caught up and to stay current on their current year taxes as well,” Nielsen said. “We want to ensure they are no longer in a hole that could put their home at jeopardy of being exposed at an upset tax sale.”
The partnership between the Tax Claim Bureau and the Credit Counseling Center can also provide locals with financial literacy counseling — something the Tax Claim Bureau doesn’t provide itself.
While the Tax Claim Bureau manages tax collections and can help provide understanding about delinquencies and payment plans, the Credit Counseling Center can offer free guidance and financial coaching.
Since 1994, the Credit Counseling Center has been offering confidential guidance to locals facing tax distress.
In 2025, the center saw 49% of its more than 5,000 consumers facing mortgage distress, such as past-due property taxes or foreclosure.
Now, the Credit Counseling Center can provide this in-depth guidance through its new partnership with the Tax Claim Bureau.
“The relationship we have now with the Bucks County Tax Claim Bureau is awesome,” Paula Powers-Watts, executive director of the Credit Counseling Center, said. “Our services are always free, always confidential, and we are respectful of our clients, regardless of their circumstances.”
Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie, a Democrat, said the new partnership, particularly during this period of economic uncertainty.
“Homeownership is becoming a real challenge for many because of how unaffordable things have become,” Harvie said. “This is a way, rather than just saying ‘too bad,’ of asking how we can help you stay in your home and get caught up.”
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Locals can enter the new program in various ways: through a direct referral by a Tax Claim Bureau staff member during a consultation; via community partners such as the Area Agency on Aging, the Military Affairs Office, and the Bucks County Hub; and through state representatives and elected offices who may direct their constituents to the tax program.
Residents can call the Tax Claim Bureau at 215-348-6274. The Credit Counseling Center can be reached at 1-833-838-1160 or at https://creditcounselingcenter.org/.
