Financing for Historic Rehabilitation Projects Available Through New Grant Program

LANSING, Mich., Sept. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Michigan State Housing Development Authority's State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), in partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), today announced the availability of a new grant program that will assist with financing historic rehabilitation projects.

A total of $600,000 is available for historic preservation project grants through the Michigan Heritage Restoration Program (MHRP). Eligible projects will demonstrate the ability to improve and maintain quality historic resources in an effort to enhance the sense of place in Michigan's communities.   

Grants are available for projects that have plans and specifications in compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and are ready to begin construction. Grant amounts will range from $60,000 to $250,000 and will require a 40 percent cash match by the applicant.

To qualify for the program, applicants must be a 501(c) (3) registered nonprofit neighborhood organization with historic resources that are currently listed in the National Register of Historic Places or eligible for listing; or be in a locally designated historic district.  Applications are due in the State Historic Preservation Office by 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, 2014. 

Potential applicants for the grant program are encouraged to attend an informational meeting from 3-5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014, in the Forum of the Michigan Historical Center, 702 W. Kalamazoo St., Lansing. Public parking is available in the visitor parking lot on the south side of the building for an hourly fee. This meeting will share more details about the program criteria and eligibility requirements. For accommodation requests or for more information on this meeting, contact the SHPO at (517)373-1630.

The State Historic Preservation Office is part of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), which provides financial and technical assistance through public and private partnerships to create and preserve decent, affordable housing for low-and moderate-income residents and to engage in community economic development activities to revitalize urban and rural communities. MSHDA's loans and operating expenses are financed through the sale of tax-exempt and taxable bonds as well as notes to private investors, not from state tax revenues. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/mshda.  

The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) is financed in part by a grant from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of the Interior. The Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on its federally funded assistance programs. If you believe you've been discriminated against please contact the Office of Equal Opportunity, National Park Service, 1849 C. St. NW, Washington DC 20240.

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SOURCE Michigan State Housing Development Authority