Exterior Rehabilitation Grant

The City of Phoenix Planning & Development Department Historic Preservation Office administers the Exterior Rehabilitation Grant Program to support preservation of historic residential properties in Phoenix. The program originated after Phoenix voters approved general obligation bond funding for historic preservation beginning in 1989, with later bond authorizations in 2001, 2006, and 2023. After the final grants supported by the 2006 bond were awarded in 2015, City Council resumed support through annual General Fund allocations of $200,000 from 2021 through 2025 and approved another $200,000 in June 2026. A portion of the $5 million in additional historic preservation bond funding approved by voters in November 2023 is also expected to support Exterior Rehabilitation grants during the current fiscal year. The program encourages owners to maintain, repair, and sensitively rehabilitate historic homes and other residential structures while promoting reinvestment and revitalization in historic neighborhoods. Eligible properties must be contributing or potentially contributing historic residential properties listed on the Phoenix Historic Property Register, either individually or as part of a designated historic district. The property does not need to be owner occupied. Applicants must own the property or provide legal authorization from the owner to apply and evidence that the owner is willing to execute required legal agreements. Applicants may also be asked to demonstrate site control through a lease, signed purchase contract, or option to purchase. Employees of the City of Phoenix Planning & Development Department and their families are not eligible. Eligible work generally must preserve building exteriors. Examples include roof repair or replacement, foundation repair, structural rehabilitation or reinforcement, exterior wall work, masonry or stucco repairs, exterior window and door repairs, porch and step rehabilitation, cornice and parapet repairs, rehabilitation of historic garages, guest houses, or carports, reversal of inappropriate alterations, demolition of non-historic additions, and reconstruction of original architectural elements supported by documentation or physical evidence. Painting can be included when it is part of an otherwise eligible repair but is not eligible as a stand-alone activity. Interior work is eligible only when necessary to stabilize or structurally support historic exteriors. Additions, new construction, work on non-historic additions, landscaping, fencing, and other site improvements are not eligible. Building permit fees are the owner's responsibility and cannot be included in project cost. Eligible engineering costs directly related to eligible work may be included if incurred within two years before or one year after the application date and do not exceed 20 percent of the total funding request. The City reimburses 50 percent of eligible, pre-approved project costs. The minimum City contribution is $5,000 and the maximum is $20,000 per property. A project therefore must have a total eligible scope of at least $10,000 to receive the minimum $5,000 City contribution. In exchange for assistance, the property owner grants the City a Deed of Conservation Easement protecting the property's exterior historic character. The easement term is 15 years for funding between $5,000 and $10,000 and 20 years for funding between $10,001 and $20,000. Reimbursement may be requested after the full project or an agreed discrete component is completed, with up to three draws permitted. The City reimburses 50 percent of approved invoiced costs after Historic Preservation Office inspection and approval. Applications are evaluated competitively. Higher priority is given to proposals that follow the City's Preservation Philosophy and General Design Guidelines for Historic Properties, use appropriate historic rehabilitation techniques, address the most critical physical needs of the building, substantially improve the visual appearance of a historic neighborhood or significant property, return a non-contributing property to contributing status, encourage private investment, and provide complete responses and detailed construction bids. Reviewers also consider research regarding the architectural elements and history of the property, the significance of the house, overall application quality, and adequacy of contractor bids. Estimates should be dated within 60 days of the grant deadline and should be on contractor or tradesperson letterhead with address, phone number, email, and contractor license number when applicable. Structural stabilization requests must include a structural engineer's report documenting the need and recommendations for the proposed work. For the current round, applicants must submit electronically through a shared City of Phoenix OneDrive folder. Email and paper applications are not accepted. Applicants must contact the Historic Preservation Office by 5:00 p.m. on October 9, 2026 to request access to the shared OneDrive folder. After receiving access, applicants must upload all grant materials by 5:00 p.m. on October 14, 2026. Required or conditionally required materials identified in the guide include the Historic Property Inventory Form, cost estimates, an engineer's report when necessary, photographs, a site plan, elevations when necessary, and archival documents when necessary. Applications missing crucial elements such as cost estimates, photographs, or a site plan will not be considered. HPO staff first reviews completeness and eligibility, an advisory panel competitively ranks eligible applications, the Historic Preservation Commission considers the recommendations, and the recommendations then proceed to the City Council for final approval. Approved applicants are expected to sign the Exterior Rehabilitation Program Agreement and Deed of Conservation Easement within 90 days of City Council approval, register as vendors in the City's financial system, obtain Consent Agreements from all lienholders, provide required insurance documentation, and obtain necessary building permits before beginning work. Work included in the approved Scope of Work should not begin until the City confirms that all agreements are signed and finalized. After the Program Agreement is signed, project work is expected to begin by July 1, 2027 and be completed by June 30, 2029. The program guide provides the Planning & Development Department contact number as 602-262-7811. The source describes a 2026 round following a 2025 round and refers to annual funding limits, supporting treatment of the opportunity as recurring annually, although future funding remains subject to City funding decisions.

Prioritize the building's most critical physical needs; demonstrate adherence to the City's Preservation Philosophy and General Design Guidelines for Historic Properties; use proper historic rehabilitation techniques and applicable City technical bulletins; provide complete answers and detailed bids for every proposed work item; document research on the house's architectural elements and history; use estimates dated within 60 days of the grant deadline; do not begin Scope of Work construction before all required agreements are signed and finalized.