Planning & Construction Grants

An applicant may apply for both planning and construction grant funds. Please review the Grant Guidelines below for more information regarding available funding and eligibility requirements.

Availability

Enterprise accepts applications on a rolling basis from applicants in Michigan, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. Please contact us for more information.

In general, Green Communities grants will be made as part of a package of favorable financing intended to improve the feasibility of integrating green building items throughout affordable housing developments. Other parts of this package are below-market-rate acquisition and predevelopment loans and competitively priced tax credit equity from Enterprise. Before submitting an application, applicants are advised to request and review the Green Criteria, which incorporates design criteria for locating in smart locations, conserving natural resources and promoting healthy living environments. These Green Criteria define the minimum requirements for Green Communities' projects and will be used to determine eligibility for grant, loan and tax credit equity products.

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Eligible Uses

Funds may be used for:

  • Planning expenses related to the integrated design process including the additional costs of architectural work, charrette, engineering, site surveys, analysis of energy use, and environmental reviews.
  • Green construction items.
  • Costs of architect's certification that Green Communities Criteria have been met, as well as costs of any other third-party assistance in certifying a development.
  • Costs of tracking the incremental cost (if any, and not to exceed $3,000) of implementing individual items in the Criteria; this tracking will be required.
  • Third-party costs of establishing systems and tools for property management and resident education, to maximize the benefits of the green measures once the property is operating.

Because funds are limited, Enterprise will reserve the right to negotiate with grant applicants to determine the highest and best use of Green Communities grants in a specific project. Line-item cost estimates must be approved by Enterprise.

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Eligible Applicants

  • Open to 501(c)(3) nonprofits; public housing authorities; tribally designated housing entities; for-profit entities; and for-profit entities participating through joint ventures with qualified organizations.
  • The applicant and the development team must demonstrate their qualifications to successfully carry out the proposed development.

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Target Projects

  • Developments that involve new construction of residential units or rehabilitation at an estimated cost of more than $3,000 per unit.
  • Developments subject to firm site control.
  • Rental housing developments that have at least 25 units reserved for renters with incomes at or below 60 percent of area median income.
  • Homeownership developments that have at least 15 homes that will be sold to buyers with incomes at or below 80 percent of area median income.
  • Developments in the working drawing or construction stages may be considered.
  • Priority is given to the following projects:
    • Rental and for-sale developments that are scheduled to close and begin construction within the next 6-9 months.
    • Rental housing developments that have allocations under the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
  • Rental housing assisted by the Initiative must be permanent housing, not transitional or emergency shelter.
  • The sponsor must commit to meeting the Green Communities Criteria and providing Enterprise with certification that the Criteria have been met; certifications will be made primarily by the project architect.

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Limits on Grant Amounts

  • In general, the maximum grant amount will be $50,000. Grant amounts will not exceed $1,000 times the number of low-income units in a project, plus $3,000 (not to exceed maximum grant amount) as an allowance toward the costs of reporting project data that will help this Initiative and the affordable housing industry learn more about the implementation of the Green Communities Criteria.
  • The grant funds may be used in ways that benefit the entire project, including homes and apartments that are not rented or sold to qualified low-income households.
  • The portion of the grant to be used for planning costs may not exceed $25,000, or $500 times the number of low-income homes-whichever is less.
  • An applicant may apply for and be awarded a grant for both planning and implementation, but the implementation portion of grants will be automatically cancelled if the project does not meet the Green Communities Criteria at the construction contract stage.

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Grant Application Review and Approval Process

There are several steps involved in applying for a Green Communities Grant. Applicants are required to request and review the Green Criteria prior to applying for grant funds. This is a very important step as the applicant must provide detailed information as to how the development intends to satisfy the Green Communities Criteria (Exhibit B) at the application stage.

Once received, applications are reviewed by our grant review committee. At this stage, applicants may be contacted to provide additional project related information. Upon review, applicants receive word that the grant has been approved, denied, deferred, or approved with conditions. Approved applicants will then execute a grant agreement with Enterprise.

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Disbursement of Grants Funds

In order to request disbursement of grant funds, grantees must submit the following documents to Enterprise:

  • Grant Disbursement Request Form (within grant agreement) signed by an authorized representative of the Grantee.
  • A Progress Report narrative detailing the status of development.
  • A copy of the project’s Green Development Plan. For more information, please review Green Criteria Item 1-1.
  • For Construction Grant Funds only, Certification of Satisfying Green Criteria. The certification must be completed and signed by the project design team certifying that the that the Green Criteria have been satisfied. 

Please be sure to allow 30 business days to process payment of grant funds.

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Application

Carefully review the grant application instructions on the following pages to apply online for Green Communities grant funding.

Go to the funding application instructions page >>>