Phoenix City Council Awards More than $185,000 in Residential Historic Preservation Grants

On Wednesday, t​he Phoenix City Council approved exterior rehabilitation grants for 12 homeowners in seven of the City’s 36 residential historic districts. The total grant money awarded equals $185,696, with each homeowner receiving between $10,000 and $20,000.

In June of 2022, the City Council approved $200,000 in the General Fund budget for Fiscal Year 2022-23 to provide rehabilitation grants for residential properties listed on the Phoenix Historic Property Register.

In exchange for receiving grant funds, the property owners agree to sell the City a 15- or 20-year conservation easement to protect the historic character of the property’s exterior. The program’s goal is to promote the preservation of historic buildings through proper rehabilitation. The program reimburses owners with a 50/50 match for pre-approved work between $5,000 and $20,000 per project.

Of the 12 grants awarded, five homes are in the Willo Historic District, two in the Del Norte Place Historic District, and one each in the Encanto-Palmcroft, Country Club Park, Garfield, Fairview Place and Los Olivos Historic Districts. The grant-funded work will vary from foundation repairs, window restorations, and roof and masonry repairs.

The deadline for Exterior Rehabilitation grant applications was Nov. 18, 2022. A total of 22 property owners submitted applications. A panel chose projects that best met the criteria for the property’s physical needs and critical maintenance, the impact on the historic appearance of the property and neighborhood and the ability to turn a vacant building into productive use.

Phoenix voters approved $42 million in bond funds from 1989-2006 for Historic Preservation. The last time the City Council allocated bond funds was in 2015, and no grants occurred from 2016-2020.  In 2021, the City Council set aside $200,000 from the General Fund to re-establish the Exterior Rehabilitation Grant Program.