Please check out the Truth Bomb Tuesday by Regina Barnes – The leader of our Selectmen/Aldermen initiative for NH. We need to peacefully and patriotically make our voices heard at our local town/city meetings. Regina explains how in the podcast below. Continue reading to see if your town accepted a grant from the state to change your zoning laws and bring in workforce housing and other housing projects that will negatively impact our neighborhoods.
We also need to show up at the polls in March and make sure we are familiar with and educated on the warrant articles before going to vote. If you have any questions on your warrant articles, please contact Regina. Her contact information is listed below.
Please check out our Selectmen/Aldermen page and sign up to be a Team leader or a Team member at https://www.nhpatriothub.org/board-of-selectmen-and-aldermen/ (Click on the “click here” tab)
Regina’s Truth Bomb Tuesday:
https://rumble.com/v29i7as-truth-bombtuesday-2.14.23.html
Please check out what is happening around our state with our zoning laws. The federal government is giving money to our state which is giving grants to towns and cities to be able to change their zoning laws and allow for things like workforce housing.
Click below to see if your town/city has accepted the funds. Below this is the grant application. Please contact Regina Barnes for more information on this. She is our leader for the Selectmen/Aldermen initiative. We would like to have one of these leaders in every town/city committed to going to their Selectmen/Aldermen meetings and building a team to go with them.
Regina’s contact information: 617-908-2365 or nhmuckraker1776@yahoo.com
Click on the link below to see if your town is listed.
https://www.nhhopgrants.org/current-grantees/
GRANT PROGRAM:
INVESTNH MUNICIPAL PLANNING & ZONING GRANT PROGRAM:
HOUSING OPPORTUNITY PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM
Program Information and Application Instructions
SECTION 1: PROGRAM INFORMATION
SECTION 2: ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS AND GRANT PHASES
SECTION 3: USE OF GRANT FUNDS
SECTION 4: PREPARING THE GRANT APPLICATION
SECTION 5: EVALUATION, FUNDS DISBURSEMENT, COMPLIANCE, AND REPORTING
SECTION 1: PROGRAM INFORMATION
Introduction
The InvestNH Municipal Planning & Zoning Grant Program provides competitive grants for cities and towns to create local regulations that will help increase housing supply. The InvestNH Housing Opportunity Planning (HOP) Grant Program is part of the Planning & Zoning Grant Program and is administered by New Hampshire Housing under contract with the NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA). These programs are all part of InvestNH, a $100 million initiative funded through the American Rescue Plan Act’s State Fiscal Recovery Fund.1
Program Background
Recognizing that existing land use regulatory frameworks pose unnecessary barriers to housing development, the purpose of the Community Housing Navigator Grant Program is to provide resources to the state’s communities to undertake reforms. Local master plans often express communities’ desires for a diversity of housing types that are affordable to a range of incomes for people of all ages, including starter homes, apartments near jobs, and places to retire, but the zoning ordinances and other land use regulations adopted by those communities often are at odds with that vision.
In many communities it is hard to undertake regulatory reform. This is the result of inadequate financial and technical resources necessary to make such changes. The HOP Grant Program will help municipalities overcome impediments and will also advance earlier efforts in New Hampshire that yielded substantial promise (for example, the Housing and Conservation Planning Program, the Community Planning Grant Program, and the Municipal Technical Assistance Grant Program). These initiatives have produced building blocks of sustainable community development: comprehensive
1 This project is being supported by, in whole or in part, federal award number SLFRP0145 awarded to the State of New Hampshire by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. 7.2022
planning and regulations, detailed technical guidance, and a focus on balance among environmental stewardship, historic preservation, social equity, and economic development – all within a context of participatory community planning. The HOP Grant Program provides funding to implement some of these policies in the local regulatory framework for the specific purpose of increasing the state’s housing supply.
InvestNH HOP Grant Program Administration
New Hampshire Housing’s administration of the HOP Grant Program will be guided by a Steering Committee that consists of representatives from the following entities:
• New Hampshire Housing
• NH Community Development Finance Authority
• New Hampshire Municipal Association
• New Hampshire Office of Planning and Development
• Plan NH
• University of New Hampshire (UNH) Cooperative Extension
The Steering Committee will provide assistance in developing public communications materials and reports, evaluate municipal grant applications, and decide on grant approvals.
HOP grants will be administered by Plan NH under contract with NH Housing.
SECTION 2: ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS AND GRANT PHASES
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
Applicant eligibility is limited to incorporated New Hampshire cities and towns, as well as village districts that have zoning authority or counties in which there are unincorporated places (“municipalities”).
Grants will be available for three phases of regulatory change. A municipality may submit a single application for all three phases or may apply for any phase individually. Municipalities that have been awarded a Community Housing Navigator grant are eligible to apply for a HOP grant. Information about the Community Housing Navigator Grant Program may be found at www.NHHOPgrants.org.
PURPOSE OF GRANTS
1. Needs Analysis and Planning. Grants will be made to municipalities to hire consultants for the following purposes:
• Understanding and mapping housing, income, and demographic data, including housing market costs, housing units needed to meet future expected growth in a municipality and the region, and the affordability of a municipality’s housing for all income ranges;
• Reviewing the existing master plan to identify sections that are related to or impact upon housing development, and drafting revisions to those master plan sections for the purpose of supporting increased housing supply; and
InvestNH Housing Opportunity Planning Grant Program Application (8.2022) Page 2 of 10
• Community engagement efforts to support the development and adoption of master plan revisions.
Note that the state’s regional planning commissions (RPCs) are developing Regional Housing Needs Assessments (RHNA), which are expected to be published in December 2022. Communities seeking a grant for data compilation and analysis should utilize their RPC’s RHNA and then identify data gaps or additional information that would be useful for the community’s planning efforts, for which these grants could be used.
Grant amounts: Municipalities may apply for up to $25,000 each to undertake needs analysis and/or planning.
Application Deadline
• Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis starting on August 5, 2022.
• Applications will be accepted until January 27, 2023 or when funds are exhausted, whichever occurs first.
• Awards typically will be made within 30 days of submission of a completed application.
2. Regulatory Audits. Grants will be made to municipalities for the purpose of hiring consultants to audit the municipality’s land use regulations and make recommendations for changes to promote housing development. Regulations to be evaluated may include, but are not limited to, zoning, subdivision regulations, site plan regulations, any provisions adopted under RSA 674:21 that are related to or impact on housing development, local building codes, and local tax incentives, including RSA 79-E.
The audits may be structured to do any of the following tasks (these tasks are intended to be illustrative, not exclusive):
• Identify barriers to housing development that may exist in standards or processes; • Identify outdated regulatory schemes;
• Specify changes to existing regulations;
• Identify opportunities for new regulations;
• Cross-reference different regulations to ensure that they are not in conflict. Grant amounts: Municipalities may apply for up to $50,000 each to conduct a regulatory audit.
Application deadline:
• Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis starting on August 5, 2022.
• Applications will be accepted until June 30, 2023 or when funds are exhausted, whichever occurs first.
• Awards typically will be made within 30 days of submission of a complete application.
3. Regulatory Development. Grants will be made to cities and towns for the purpose of hiring consultants to create new regulations or revise existing regulations with the stated primary goal of increasing the supply of housing in the community.
InvestNH Housing Opportunity Planning Grant Program Application (8.2022) Page 3 of 10
Regulations to be created or revised may include, but are not limited to:
• Zoning;
• Subdivision regulations;
• Site plan regulations;
• Any provisions adopted under RSA 674:21 that are related to or impact upon housing development;
• Local building codes; and
• Local tax incentives, including RSA 79-E.
Grants for these purposes must be accompanied by a community engagement effort, which may rely on current or prior community engagement work. Communities must commit to making a good faith effort to bring regulatory changes to a formal vote for adoption.
Grant amounts: Municipalities may apply for up to $100,000 each to do regulatory development.
Application deadline:
• Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis starting on August 5, 2022. • Applications will be accepted until November 15, 2023 or until funds are exhausted, whichever occurs first.
• Awards typically will be made within 30 days of submission of a complete application.
SECTION 3: USE OF GRANT FUNDS
Housing Opportunity Planning (HOP) Grants will provide municipalities with the financial resources to hire qualified consultants to conduct proposed project work. Municipalities may use program funds for other direct costs associated with the project with prior approval of the Steering Committee. A maximum of 7.5% of the funds may be used for administrative costs. A consultant’s costs may include time, direct costs associated with the project, and indirect costs reasonably attributable to the project.
Grantees may contract with their regional planning commissions2 or select from the pre-approved list of qualified consultants for project work without engaging in a competitive bidding process. The list of qualified consultants will be approved by the Steering Committee. Any consultant may seek Steering Committee approval by following the instructions included in the Request for Qualifications for InvestNH Housing Opportunity Planning Grant Program Consultant List published at www.NHHOPgrants.org.
Alternatively, grantees may undertake a competitive process to identify a consultant by issuing a Request for Qualifications or Request for Proposals. As a grant condition, the Steering Committee will reserve the right to assess the qualifications of any consultant not included on the pre-approved list and to reject any such consultant it deems to be unqualified to perform the proposed work. Prohibitions on Use of Grant Funds.
• Grant funds may not be used for the acquisition of property.
2 Find your RPC using the interactive map at www.nharpc.org/.
InvestNH Housing Opportunity Planning Grant Program Application (8.2022) Page 4 of 10
• Grant funds may not be used to pay for equipment.
• Grant funds may not be used to pay for consultant services rendered prior to grant approval. There is no cash or in-kind match requirement for these grants.
Community Engagement
Community engagement is an essential part of the work to be done under these grants. Communities will work with UNH Cooperative Extension to understand and develop appropriate engagement plans. While the application should describe how engagement will complement your plan, the community engagement plan does not need to be fully formed at the time of application submission. To ensure a robust community engagement effort, UNH Cooperative Extension has created Housing Academy to support efforts in this grant program. See the Housing Academy description in Exhibit A.
Scoring Criteria
Grants are awarded to communities on a competitive basis with the goal of making award decisions within 30 days of receipt of a completed application. Applications will be scored on the following characteristics:
| 1. Overall clarity of narrative, including goals, and expected outcomes; demonstrate a commitment to increasing housing supply | 35 points |
| 2. Consistency with the purposes of the grant phase(s) sought | 35 points |
| 3. Commitment to or willingness to develop and implement a community engagement plan | 20 points |
| 4. Clarity and thoughtfulness of scope of work and budget | 10 points |
SECTION 4: PREPARING THE GRANT APPLICATION
Please follow the application guidelines below to complete your application. Submit your answers in PDF file format to: info@NHHOPgrants.org. If you would like to discuss the grant before completing the application, contact us at this email.
Cover Page
Include one to two sentences about your community as background for the Steering Committee, and the following information on one page (in this order):
• Name of municipality and address of town hall or governing body;
• Project contact person’s name, affiliation with community, phone, email;
• Date of most recent Master Plan and section(s) of the Master Plan that support this project; • Which phase(s) of regulatory change you are applying for, and the amount of funding requested;
• Unique Entity Identifier (UEI);3
3 The Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) recently replaced the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number as the method used to uniquely identify individuals and entities receive federal funding. You can apply for the HOP Grant Program using your
InvestNH Housing Opportunity Planning Grant Program Application (8.2022) Page 5 of 10
• Dated signature of municipality’s chief executive officer or other authorized representative of the local governing body. Alternatively, the planning board may submit an application pursuant to its authority to receive grants in RSA 673:16, I. A planning board submission should be signed and dated by the board chair and include an attachment of the minutes of the meeting at which the
planning board authorized the grant application.
Application Narrative
The narrative should describe the proposed project in detail, outlining what the municipality expects to achieve. The narrative should include the following sections:
Housing Challenge and Project Goals (maximum 750 words). Clearly and concisely describe the housing challenge your community is facing and how this project will help to address that challenge.
Outcomes and Deliverables (maximum 500 words). Describe desired outcomes. What do you hope to achieve? How will you know if the project is a success? How will the results you have obtained be used to increase housing supply in your community? (Please review the Grantee Responsibilities and Evaluation section below).
If appropriate, include a link to regulations to be audited or revised.
Scope of Work and Budget. List and describe the tasks, milestones, and final work products that comprise the project, together with a timetable for task completion. Details for each task shall include:
• Name of task;
• Who will perform the task (if known);*
• Milestones and timetable for task completion
• Brief summary of the task, including anticipated final work products;
• All project partners and their role; and
• Overall cost and statement of anticipated expenses.
* As noted above, grantees may contract with their regional planning commission or choose from the pre-approved list of qualified consultants without engaging in a competitive process. If you know which consultant you will be working with, please include that information in this section. If you have not yet chosen a consultant, please note whether your intention is to contract with your regional planning commission, select a consultant from the pre-approved list of qualified consultants, or engage in a competitive process.
TIN, but for your award to be finalized you will need to show that you have applied for or received a UEI. You can apply for a UEI at www.sam.gov.
InvestNH Housing Opportunity Planning Grant Program Application (8.2022) Page 6 of 10
Please include a budget using this template.
| BUDGET TEMPLATE | |||
| Task Name | Details | Cost | |
| Task 1 | Community Engagement | $2,500 | |
| Task 2 | Community Engagement, Additional (optional) | ||
| Task 3 | Housing Academy Stipend | X people at $250 per attendee | |
| Task 4 | Administrative costs. No more than 7.5% of total project cost. | ||
| Task 5 | |||
| Task 6 | |||
| Task 7 | |||
| Task 8 | |||
| Total: | $ |
Community Engagement Plan (maximum 500 words). Good public engagement leads to broader citizen participation in public decisions. The engagement process includes listening, discussion, deliberation, and decision-making that builds relationships with the community. Communities will work with UNH Cooperative Extension to understand and develop appropriate engagement plans. Please describe as well as you can how you expect to use engagement as a tool for your grant project.
To ensure a robust community engagement effort, each grantee will identify at least one person (but may identify up to three) to participate in community engagement training and receive support from UNH Cooperative Extension through the Housing Academy. Housing Academy has been developed to support community efforts in this grant program and is intended to hone engagement and leadership skills and help you develop a creative approach to community engagement. Housing Academy participants may include municipal staff, elected officials, representatives from land use boards, members of other local boards and committees, or other residents of the community. See the Housing Academy description in Exhibit A.
To encourage and support the involvement of volunteers in the municipality’s community engagement efforts, stipends of $250 per Housing Academy participant will be approved as allowable direct expenses. Paid municipal staff are invited to participate in Housing Academy but are not eligible for these stipends.
The budget template, by default, includes $2,500 for community engagement but applicants may request additional funding.
Consistency with Master Plan (maximum 250 words). If it pertains to your grant application, identify how the application relates to your local master plan, your regional planning commission’s regional plan, or other relevant plans. This section is purely informative to the Steering Committee and is intended to provide background information. Consistency with your local master plan may support your application; inconsistency will not disqualify your application.
InvestNH Housing Opportunity Planning Grant Program Application (8.2022) Page 7 of 10
SECTION 5: EVALUATION, FUNDS DISBURSEMENT, COMPLIANCE, AND REPORTING
Grantee Responsibilities and Evaluation
As a condition of selection as a HOP Grant Program grantee, municipalities will be required to report on progress toward implementing their proposed scope of work, completed tasks, and metrics of success including documentation on public meetings, workshops and hearings, public participation levels, and additional outreach and engagement efforts.
Depending on the grant phase, expected deliverables include one or more of the following:
• Demonstrated and documented understanding of values and attitudes toward housing; • Identified regulatory barriers to housing development;
• Demonstrated understanding of the cost of development as it relates to land use regulations and permitting process;
• Improved skills in community engagement tools and facilitation of effective housing discussions; • Drafted text of regulatory amendments; and
• A plan to move forward with regulatory change, incentives, or other means to increase housing supply and affordability.
Disbursement of Grant Funds
Funds awarded from the HOP Grant Program will be disbursed for services rendered. Invoices may be submitted monthly to the Program Administrator via email to info@NHHOPgrants.org. Paid invoices can be submitted for reimbursement or unpaid invoices can be submitted for payment. Invoices will be paid generally within 15 business days. The Program Administrator will review and approve all invoices.
Compliance
Terms and Conditions: Compliance with Federal Regulations, State Legislation, Statutes, and Regulations. By acceptance of this award, each grant recipient agrees to comply with these requirements of “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance)” located in title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR part 200). Failure to comply may result in disallowances, restricted drawdown, and withholding of future awards. Please refer to this website as an example of federal guidance:
www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/ih/regs/resources
Post Grant Reporting
Municipal grantees will be required to submit data to the Program Administrator, reporting on implementation and outcomes, for a period of three years after grant close-out.
Inquiries and Application Submission
Submit applications as a PDF to info@NHHOPgrants.org. Questions regarding the grant program may be submitted to info@NHHOPgrants.org. Answers will be posted at www.NHHOPgrants.org on an ongoing basis.
InvestNH Housing Opportunity Planning Grant Program Application (8.2022) Page 8 of 10
EXHIBIT A
HOUSING ACADEMY:
ENGAGING YOUR COMMUNITY FOR MORE HOUSING OPTIONS
The InvestNH Municipal Planning & Zoning Grant Program will include Housing Academy, developed by UNH Extension, to provide education and community engagement training. This training is for municipalities that receive Community Housing Navigator or Housing Opportunity Planning (HOP) Grant funding.
Housing Academy will help participants learn how to engage with their community, set priorities and plan for an increase in housing supply at the community level.
Housing Academy will be a hybrid format with webinars, online materials, in-person gatherings, and place-based training. Community engagement techniques and tools will be taught so participants can develop and implement an engagement plan in their city or town. There will be opportunities for communities to share best practices and challenges and learn from each other.
For more information:
Molly Donovan
University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension
State Specialist, Community Economic Development
Molly.donovan@unh.edu
