Town of Westernport Façade Matching Grant Program

Requirements:

Applicant must be a property owner
Property must be located within a Sustainable Community Designated area
Project must remain for a minimum of 2 years or be subject to returning grant funds
Project will only cover street-facing portions of the building
Project must be for the exterior of the building

Preference may be given to the following situations:

Buildings that will keep or restore the historical integrity of a building
Renovation projects are prioritized over new construction
New Property Owners that have not previously received/been awarded a prior Façade Grant
New properties that have not previously received/ been awarded a prior Façade Grant

Project Examples:

Exterior painting
Removing inappropriate or incompatible exterior finishes/materials
Restoring exterior finishes and materials
Recessing/reconfiguring of existing doors and entrances
Signage (new, repairing, replacing, and removing)
Awnings; new, repairs or replacement of existing
Sidewalks for street facing portions of the building

Ineligible Expenses Include:

Expenses incurred prior to award letter approval will not qualify
Improvements other than those outlined in the award letter
Work completed on the interior of the property
Work done on non-street facing sides of the building
Elements that are considered temporary, such as landscaping
Work completed with materials not approved in the scope of the work, examples include non historic elements like composite wood

Façade Improvement Matching grants may be awarded for up to 50% of a project’s total costs (with the maximum award amount not exceeding $5,000) and are dependent upon the availability of awarded funds to the Town of Westernport through the Community Legacy Grant issued by the Maryland Department of Housing & Community Development, more information about the Community Legacy program can be found here: dhcd.maryland.gov/Communities/Pages/programs/CL.aspx

Applicants whose adjusted gross income during 2025 was $50,000 or less may be reimbursed at a rate of 100%. Reimbursements will be issued only after the project has been completed and paid for by the applicant.

Only completed applications will be considered.

Grant Application Process

Applicants must own the property and it must be located within the Sustainable Community designated area, the town’s incorporated boundaries. Property owners may use the Neighborhood Revitalization Mapper to confirm their eligibility.

A completed application packet must be submitted via email to the Town Grant Writer. Application packet must include:

Grant Application
Photos of the Building/Site, minimum of 2 images depicting the project
Budget of project
Description of work to be completed, including materials that will be used on the project
If seeking 100% reimbursement—1040 showing Adjusted Gross Income $50,000 or less

Completed applications are submitted via email, the timestamp will be used confirm submission date.

Applications are prioritized in the following order:

New applicants who have not previously received a Façade Grant, opens April 1, 2026
New property, returning applicant, opens June 1, 2026
Returning applicants continuing work on a previously awarded property, opens June 1, 2026

Incomplete applications will be returned to the property owner with an explanation of items missing. The property owner will then have the option to resubmit the application and will be placed in the queue based on when the completed application is received.

Once the completed application packet is submitted, the Town Grant Writer will review. Please check with the Town Code Enforcement officer to confirm if any permits are required before the project starts. He can be contacted at 301-359-3932 ext 14.

Once the Town Grant Writer approves, the application is then submitted to the Department of Housing & Community Development and the Maryland Historical Trust for review and approval. The review process by both DHCD (Department of Housing and Community Development) and MHT (Maryland Historical Trust) may take up to 60 days (2 months), no work may begin until official approval has been received from all review parties.

Applicants will be contacted by the Town Grant Writer to advise them of the project’s decision and if funding will be awarded to them. Award letters will be communicated via email to the applicant. Only the scope of work listed in the final approval letter will be covered under the grant; any changes or amendments to the approved scope of work must be resubmitted and cannot be completed until a new approval is received.

Projects must be started within three months of the approval letter being issued and completed within six months. Applicants who are approved under the Income guidelines and receive 100% award funding may delay beginning and must complete the project within 18 months of the award notification. Any delays that could impact the timeline should be communicated to the Town Grant Writer as soon as possible. Failure to communicate delays could result in the funding being rescinded.

This grant is a reimbursement grant, once the project has been completed, a financial report showing proof of expenses and photos of the completed project will be submitted to the Town Grant Writer via email by the property owner. Documentation will be submitted to DHCD for reimbursement by the Town Grant Writer, and once approved, the funds will be sent to the Town of Westernport for payment to be issued to the property owner.

The reimbursement process may take up to 90 days (about 3 months) from date of submission.

Property owners should plan accordingly and understand they are responsible for expenses that can occur during the project and will be reimbursed once the project is completed for the award amount. If a project goes over budget, there will not be an increase in the award amount. Property Owners will be responsible for any late fees from contractors while awaiting reimbursement funds to be issued. The reimbursement amount cannot exceed the awarded amount, it may be reduced based on the financial report if the project comes in under budget.

Examples for the financial report should include receipts, canceled checks, credit card receipts, paid invoices, contractor’s sworn statements, subcontractor’s waivers of lien, etc. Reimbursements will be based on actual project expenses and cannot include “in-kind” labor or donated materials.

Any questions regarding the Façade Matching Grant Program should be directed to the Town Grant Writer, Cathy Lark at: clark@mrdc.net

Drafted 06/2026

The Application can be found as a PDF here or as an image below: