The Exterior Grant Program Explained

October 17, 2019October 30, 2020

What IS the Exterior Grant Program:

The Exterior Grant Program is a City reimbursement to qualifying residents who make investments into the exterior, street-facing sides of their homes, because home improvements make our neighborhoods more attractive and contribute positively to all of Prairie Village.

“As an inner-ring suburb, some Prairie Village homes are facing maintenance problems that come with age. These homes are well-built, but beginning to visibly show their years. The aim of this program is to encourage homeowners within the designated improvement [parameters] to invest in their home’s appearance.”

It is an INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY.

Details of the Exterior Grant Program

A grant of 20% will be awarded as a reimbursement for construction costs between $2,500 and $12,500 for exterior remodeling.
Awards range from $500 to $2,500 depending on total project cost.
Property must be owner-occupied. (See brochure for more detail on rental properties.)
Council and Staff believe strongly in the program. It is very popular, and has had a very positive impact. In fact, staff has recommended expanding the program to help address sustainability/energy efficiency improvements and affordable housing.
Prairie Village Council voted in 2019 to include trash container screening structures in the program now.
Prairie Village Council will discuss increasing the maximum home value for additional eligibility again like they did in 2019 from $200k to at least as much as the average appraised value increase was for 2020 later this year. (In 2019 it was $225k.)
A pool of $50,000 is set aside for this program in 2020.
Continuation of the program is considered by the Prairie Village Governing Body on an annual basis.
Homeowners may only use the program one time per property every 10 years.
Applications are accepted beginning in March, and you need to have your quotes from contractors or vendors ready to submit with you application.

Eligible Improvements:

New Roof
Masonry – repair, replace, add
Home Additions
New Windows
Foundation repair
Exterior paint/siding
Awnings, Shutters, Gutters
Concrete work – sidewalk, stoop, driveway
Doors (front & garage) – Fencing and decks (front facing)
NEW: Trash container screening ($2,500 project min. would not apply here, and reimbursement would be 50% or $100, whichever is less!)

What the Exterior Grant Program is NOT:

The Exterior Grant Program is not for interior improvements to your home, a backyard deck, or for most reusable construction tools or equipment.

If you have stormwater and drainage issues, beyond your gutters and downspouts, see the Contain the Rain grant program for help and reimbursement of up to 50% of eligible expenses!

The Exterior Grant Program is NOT “tax relief”.

I have several ideas in the works for how to provide meaningful tax relief to our PV residents, and none of them include asking them to make an investment upwards of $2,500 in their home in return for a $500 or more grant. That just isn’t a realistic request for us to make of our residents in the most dire of cases: the ones working a second job to pay their tax bill that has doubled on their teacher salary, or the residents that are on the verge of being kicked out of their home due to back taxes from the last 4 years of exorbitant increases.

The Exterior Grant Program is an

INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY.

And don’t worry: this program isn’t going away any time soon! 😁