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 Funding Announcements
 

2017 Affordable Housing Program Open Until 4:00 p.m., Sept. 15, 2017

 

 Application Process

Please choose a funding announcement from the list below and download all applicable documents associated with the funding announcement.  In addition, ALL APPLICANTS ARE REQUIRED to register in the NCDCED County Relationship Manager (CRM) and submit electronic applications through the web.  Please click here to register.  Your registration will be approved within 1-2 business days.  Once approved, you may upload and submit you electronic application forms through the CRM application.  Please click on the Apply button located next to the applicable funding program to access the CRM application.

 Funding Types
* Apply - Active Grants/Loans


Affordable Housing ProgramApply
Projects funded under the Affordable Housing Program (AHP) must maintain or increase the availability of quality, affordable housing for residents of Northampton County whose annual incomes are below 80% the median income for the County using the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 8 Income Limits.

2017 Community Investment Partnership Program (CIPP) - Competitive Grants
The County of Northampton will competitively award CIPP Community Improvement Grants funded from Table Games Revenue. The CIPP program provides resources to Northampton County’s aging communities that lack access to resources in implementing comprehensive community revitalization plans and strategies that will improve the quality of life for our citizens and create opportunities to stimulate, attract and sustain economic development.
The CIPP is designed to assist the County in prioritizing and allocating resources for the Northampton County Department of Community and Economic Development (NCDCED). Several grant, financing and technical assistance programs have been developed that will be used in conjunction with current programs to support community development and economic growth in our communities.
 
In 2016, 19 projects totaling $700,500 were awarded through this program.  Since its inception in 2015, CIPP has awarded over $1,400,000 to 41 projects that leveraged over $5,000,000 in total community investment.

2018 Hotel Tax for Tourism
The County of Northampton will competitively award grants to be funded from revenues collected from the Northampton County Hotel Tax.  The Hotel Tax funds are provided for under Northampton County Resolution No. 440 of 2005, as authorized by P.L. 307 of 2000 and amended by Act 12 of 2005, by imposing a Hotel Room Rental Tax of 4% on hotel guests to be used for tourism and community development initiatives.
 
Please click here for a Library of related documents.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
The federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program provides funding through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that allows the County of Northampton Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) to assist in the development of viable communities, by funding activities that assist people with low incomes in meeting their needs for housing or services.  One objective of any DCED funded programs is the knowledge that low income people are indeed benefiting from the investment of CDBG resources.

CIPP Job Creation Grant Program
Northampton County seeks to grow its economy and achieve prosperity for its residents  by recruiting and expanding the availability of quality jobs.  We see to add high value, knowledge-driven industries and retain quality growing industries that support our communities.  Specific targeted industries include Agriculture and Food Processing, Food and Beverage Manufacturing, High Performance Manufacturing, Life Sciences Research and Manufacturing, and High Value Business Services.  This program is  designed to help and support companies to make investments in their facilities, machinery, equipment, training and some soft costs that will result in the creation and retention of jobs in Northampton County. The grant funds awarded under this program will facilitate job creation and/or retention as well as growth and expansion of economic infrastructure within its borders.  It is intended to enable the County to respond quickly  and effectively to the dynamic forces of the County’s economy and to the nature of industrial recruitment and retention.  The program seeks to encourage, attract and  retain sustainable investments and jobs to Northampton County communities and to provide resources improve their economic development infrastructure, expand their tax  base and improve their general economic health and welfare. 

Typical grant awards will not exceed $50,000 and will be based upon a sliding scale of $5000 - $10,000 per job created/retained based on wages and health care benefits provided.

GPA Economic Reinvestment RLF
The Economic Reinvestment Loan Program offers loans to help support the creation of new job opportunities or the retention of existing jobs with Northampton County.  The program seeks to encourage the attraction and retention of businesses within the County to help improve economic development, infrastructure, expand the tax base and improve the general economic health and welfare of our communities.

NCGPA Business Boost RLF
 The Northampton County General Purpose Authority (NCGPA) Business Boost Revolving Loan Fund provides gap and bridge financing options to be used in combination with more conventional sources for the development and expansion of small to medium sized businesses.

Municipal Parks
The Northampton County Municipal Park Acquisition, Development and Rehabilitation Program allows municipalities to update facilities, purchase new recreational lands and rehab existing structures. Started in 2013, a five-year program allocated $5 million, to each municipality based of the 2010 U.S. Census.  Municipalities are only allowed to apply for their allocation and projects must be completed within a 2-year timeframe.

Brownfield Clean-Up
The Brownfield Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Allows Northampton County to provide financing to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites.  The goal of this program is to stimulate reuse and redevelopment of contaminated sites.

Bank Qualified Tax Exempt Bonds
Tax exempt bonds purchased by financial institutions with reduced federal tax obligations.

First Time Homebuyer
The Northampton County First-Time Homebuyer Program provides loans to eligible first-time buyers of Northampton County homes. These loans provide up to $5,000 to help with the cost of the house and closing costs.  We secure the investment in our communities by placing a lien on the property for 5 years or until the property is sold. For each year you stay in your home, 20% of the loan is forgiven. The loan is completely forgiven if the homebuyer stays in the house for at least 5 years.

Homeowner Rehab
The Northampton County Homeowner-Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Program is funded through Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, and administered by the Lehigh Valley Community Land Trust.  Up to $20,000.00 in partially forgivable, interest free loans are available to low and moderate income homeowners in the boroughs and townships in Northampton County to make necessary improvements to their homes.  

Preservation of Environmentally Sensitive Areas
The Northampton County Open Space/Natural Areas Program purpose is to protect the County's important natural features by assisting municipalities and nonprofit organizations to acquire and permanently preserve land where these resources are found. Municipalities, non-profit land agencies and, school districts are eligible to apply.  The program focuses on the preservation of land within the County through fee simple acquisition or conservation easement.

Tax Exempt Bonds
The Northampton County General Purpose Authority provides access to low-interest loans through the issuance of of bonds for infrastructure and development initiatives that impact the economic vitality of Northampton County.

Gaming
The purpose of the Northampton County Gaming Revenue and Economic Redevelopment Authority (NCGR&ERA) is to administer competitive municipal grants based upon impacts associated with the licensed gaming facility operations. The creation of the NCGR&ERA was authorized by Northampton County Council Ordinance No. 500 - Session 2009 - Bill No 552 - an ordinance adopting the articles of incorporation of the Northampton County Gaming Revenue and Economic Redevelopment Authority.

RACP
The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) is a commonwealth grant program administered by the Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational, and historical improvement projects. Proposed projects must be submitted by a Pennsylvania Legislator (State Senate Or House) and subsequently itemized in an RACP funding bill before becoming eligible for funding consideration. Once itemized, a Grant Agreement is drawn up by the Office of Budget subject to approval of a complete Business Plan and compliance with any additonal grant conditions.

Hotel Tax 2005
Currently under design, the TED Grant is the Tourism and Economic Development grant program we will be proposing to Council when completed.

The TED grant is designed to utilize the HRRT 2005 Hotel Tax Revenue to provide multi-year grants for County-wide impact projects that affect tourism and have a definable economic development outcome, especially those with capital projects or marketing plans and strategies that meet the criteria above.

Awards will generally not exceed three years, and may run between $25,000 and $150,000 per year.


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