Community Legacy Program
Community Legacy Program
The Community Legacy program is a partnership between the town and the Maryland Dept. of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). It provides 50% matching grants for exterior facade and other improvements, and the property owner pays the other 50%. The Town supplies the administrative part of the program. The maximum grant is $12,500 per property, per State fiscal year.
In order to apply, the property has to be located within a designated Sustainable area -- primarily the National Register Historic District. The Town has received $50,000 in grant money each year since FY2013, and is currently working on the FY2020 program.
Grant Application Process:
- An owner who is interested in applying for the program should contact the
Town Planner at 301-600-6309 to make sure their property and their project
qualifies. Applications can be downloaded here or picked up at the Town office. - A local Sustainable Community Work Group reviews the applications received
and forwards them to the Maryland Historical Trust for review. The MHT review
determines whether the property is a "contributing structure" to the historic
district, and whether the proposed project complies with Federal standards for
materials and work on such structures. - Once approved, the Town and property sign an agreement -- with a time frame
for completion -- and the work can commence. - When the work is completed, the owner pays the total amount to the contractor
and provides proof to the Town that the contractor has been paid. - The Town submits a reimbursement request to DHCD for the 50% grant money,
and provides a check to the property owner once the reimbursement is
received.
**This process takes a few months, but the results have been very positive for both the property owners and the Town in general.