Washington, D.C Resources for Historic Properties

In Washington, D.C, historic property owners and advocates can seek assistance from state/city and federal programs for predevelopment, planning, and rehabilitation activities.

These programs are largely applicable to properties that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places, either as an individual resource or as a contributing resource to a historic district.

Please see each program’s website (listed below) for specific property or project eligibility, requirements, and application processes.

 

 District of Columbia State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)

Office of Planning

Historic Homeowner Grant Program:

https://planning.dc.gov/service/historic-homeowner-grant-program

• Offers up to $25,000 in non-taxable financial assistance to low- and moderate-income homeowners for residential repairs. Eligibility requirements:
• Own a primary residence that is located in a historic district or has been individually designated as a city landmark.
• Receive the Homestead Deduction for property taxes.
• Obtain a Clean Hands Certificate with a status of “compliant."
• Have a total household income less than 120% of the area median income.

                 

Historic Tax Credits

https://planning.dc.gov/node/1675591

• Owners of historic properties that are income-producing (all or part of a building) may be eligible for a 20% federal income tax credit for rehabilitation work.
• The work must be reviewed by the D.C. SHPO and the National Park Service.
• Rehabilitation expenditures must exceed the greater of $5,000 or the adjusted basis of the building.

 Contact the SHPO to discuss the details of either program prior to applying.

 

DC Preservation League

https://dcpreservation.org/grants/

Preservation Initiatives (PI) Grant Program

·      Provides matching grants to individuals and non-profit organizations for historic and cultural sites.

·      Offers funding for four (4) types of projects:

o   Preservation planning

o   Research

o   Outreach and education

o   Bricks and mortar for local landmarks or contributing resources within a designated historic district.

·      Grants typically range from $5,000 to $10,000 with bricks and mortar projects ranging from $10,000 to $50,000.

 

The L’Enfant Trust

https://lenfant.org/#

• Conservation Easement Program
• A voluntary legal agreement with a historic property owner to protect the property against demolition, neglect, and insensitive alterations.
• Historic Properties Redevelopment Program
• Returns vacant historic properties back to productive use so they can be sold to moderate- and low-income families facing displacement.
• Technical Preservation
• Offers assistance and support in owning and preserving historic homes.

 

National Trust for Historic Preservation

https://savingplaces.org/grants#.V2wLP00UVaR

The National Trust Preservation Funds program provides seed money for local Washington, D.C. preservation projects:  

• The Dorothea de Schweinitz Fund provides matching grants, generally ranging from $2,500 to $5,000, available for preservation planning and educational outreach.
• The Henry A. Jordan Preservation Excellence Fund provides funding up to $7,500 for the protection of natural and cultural resources in the Mid-Atlantic region.
• The National Trust also administers several national grant programs for a variety of historic properties, see website for more specific details.

Other National Grant Programs Applicable in Washington, D.C.

The 1772 Foundation

https://www.1772foundation.org/grants

Historic Properties Redevelopment Programs (HPRP)

• Collaboration between the 1772 Foundation and the National Preservation Partners Network.
• Offers matching grants up to $250,000 (though typical grants range between $50,000 and $75,000) to 501(c)(3) organizations to restore historic buildings and return them to use in the private sector with deed restrictions.
• The 1772 foundation also offers several other preservation grants on an invitation only basis.

 

Partners for Sacred Places

National Fund for Sacred Places

 https://www.fundforsacredplaces.org/

• Collaboration between Partners for Sacred Places and National Trust for Historic Preservation.
• Matching grants of $50,000 to $500,000 for active religious congregations.

 

National Park Service

Historic Preservation Fund

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/historicpreservationfund/project-grants.htm

• African American Civil Rights Grants 
• Save America's Treasures Grants (for nationally significant properties only)
• Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program
• History of Equal Rights Grants
• Semi-quincentennial Grants
• Historically Black Colleges/University (HBCU) Grants 
• Tribal Heritage Grants
• Disaster Recovery Grants
• Underrepresented Communities Grants
• Grant funding for listing properties in the National Register

 

National Heritage Areas

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/heritageareas/index.htm

• A public and private partnership that leverages federal funds to create jobs and generate revenue for local governments through revitalization and heritage tourism.

 

Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)

Historic Preservation Grants

https://www.dar.org/outreach/historic-preservation/dar-historic-preservation-grants

• Provide grants to local communities for the preservation of historic buildings, sites, records, and objects.
• Projects from all eras of American history are eligible.
• Maximum grant award is $10,000.
• Applications must include a sponsorship letter from a local DAR chapter.
• Chapters in Washington, D.C. can be found here: https://www.dar.org/discover/become-member/chapter-locator

 

National Endowment for the Arts

Our Town Grant Program

https://www.arts.gov/grants/our-town

• Large grants that integrate arts, culture, and design to strengthen communities.

 

Wells Fargo Community Giving Grants

https://www.wellsfargo.com/about/responsibility-and-impact/community-giving/

• Grants for non-profit organizations for financial health, housing affordability, small business growth, and sustainability, which may include avenues to assist historic property owners.

Potential New Funding Sources

Opportunity Zone Program:

https://dmped.dc.gov/page/opportunity-zones-washington-dc

The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic development (DMPED) handles the Opportunity Zone program in Washington, D.C. Federal Opportunity Zones are an economic development tool designed to spur investment and job creation in distressed communities by offering capital gains tax deferral for investments made in a qualified Opportunity Zone. Qualified Opportunity Funds are established as an investment vehicle specifically for the purpose of investing in a qualified Opportunity Zone.

• Washington, D.C. has twenty-five designated Opportunity Zones intended to:
• Deliver new, neighborhood-serving amenities, such as retail and fresh food grocers.
• Provide investment capital and growth opportunities for D.C. small businesses, particularly those led by underrepresented entrepreneurs.
• Create jobs for D.C. residents and pathways to the middle class.
• Increase affordable and workforce housing.
• Federal tax reform created the “Qualified Opportunity Zone” program, designed to encourage investment in businesses that are in low-income communities by permitting a taxpayer who recognizes gain on the sale of property to gain certain tax benefits.
• Federal Opportunity Zones offer three tax incentives to investors:
• Temporary tax deferral for capital gains reinvested in an Opportunity Fund– the deferred gain is recognized on the earlier of the date on which the Opportunity Zone investment is sold or December 31, 2026.
• A step-up in basis for capital gains reinvested in an Opportunity Fund– the basis of the original investment is increased by 10% if the investment in the qualified Opportunity Zone fund is held by the taxpayer for at least 5 years, and by an additional 5% if held for at least 7 years, excluding up to 15% of the original gain from taxation.
• A permanent exclusion from taxable income of capital gains from the sale or exchange of an investment in a qualified Opportunity Zone fund, if the investment is held for at least 10 years.
• The U.S. Treasury Department certifies who is a “Qualified Opportunity Fund” but the tax reform law defines this as a partnership or corporation formed for the purpose of making investments in businesses located in low-income communities designated as “Qualified Opportunity Zones.” To gain the program benefits, an investor must invest proceeds from a sale or exchange of assets to an unrelated party into a Qualified Opportunity Fund within 180 days from the date of such sale or exchange. This investor may choose to reinvest only a portion of the proceeds from the original sale or exchange, in which case only a portion of the gain would be deferred. A Qualified Opportunity Fund is required to invest at least 90% of its assets in targeted businesses where substantially all of the tangible assets of each such business are used in a Qualified Opportunity Zone, and at least 50% of the gross income earned from each such business is from the active conduct of business in a Qualified Opportunity Zone. Opportunity Funds provide investors with the chance to put that money into work rebuilding the low-income communities.