$1.8m in grants awarded for housing, public facilities

CDFA funds projects to benefit low-to-moderate income residents

The New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority has approved $1.84 million in Community Development Block Grant awards that will fund projects developing affordable housing, upgrading failing infrastructure and programs to help low- and moderate-income residents in the Granite State.

Projects approved by CDFA’s Community Development Advisory Board are:

 · A $200,000 public facilities grant will go to the city of Concord on behalf of The Children’s Place nonprofit childcare facility. The center's facility needs upgrades to address health and safety issues. As well as rehabilitate the bathrooms, this grant will replace the roof and the floor in the childcare area, and make improvements to the playground area.

 · The city of Concord will also receive a $190,000 public facilities grant to install sprinklers at the Head Start facility.

 · Belknap County will receive a public facilities grant of $250,000 on behalf of the Boys and Girls Club of the Lakes Region. The grant will go toward acquiring the St. James Church in order to turn the building into their new clubhouse.

 · A $500,000 housing grant will go to the town of Hinsdale on behalf of the Oak Hill Acres Cooperative. The funds will go toward replacement of failing drinking water and septic systems, as well as other infrastructure concerns on the site. Left unattended, these deficiencies pose a risk of health and safety to residents of the 47 homes affected.

 · The town of Exeter will receive a housing grant for $500,000 on behalf of Avesta Housing to complete phase three of the Meeting Place. This will allow the development of 39 units of workforce housing and is part of what will be a 122-unit facility of affordable rental housing.

· A $200,000 housing grant will go to Grafton County on behalf of Affordable Housing Education and Development Inc. (AHEAD), for a statewide pilot program to help homeowners replace substandard pre-1976 mobile homes with new high-performance manufactured homes meeting Energy Star standards. The funds will go toward subsidizing site work and other improvements, as well as capitalize a zero-interest loan fund to help homeowners pay for the upgrades.

“With these grants, these communities and their nonprofit partners are addressing some of the most urgent needs of low- and moderate-income residents. Affordable, dignified housing is key to the state’s blue collar workforce. And the lack of accessible childcare is a barrier for many parents who want to enter the workforce,” said the CDFA’s communications director, Kevin Flynn. “These projects will benefit 875 people, the majority of whom are low-to-moderate income.”