House Grants Program Guidelines

As the owner of a heritage designated residence in the Municipality of Saanich, you may be eligible for assistance with the cost of preserving or restoring the exterior of your heritage house. The House Grants Program may cover a portion of these costs, subject to the Saanich Heritage Foundation (SHF) priorities and the availability of funds.

The SHF administers this program on the Municipality's behalf.

HERITAGE GRANT FUNDING POLICY

• Funding is available in the form of grants for the restoration and upkeep of heritage designated structures.
• Funding awards are at the discretion of the Saanich Heritage Foundation committee.
• Funding is determined on a case by case basis.
• Decisions regarding funding awards are based on priority requirements (ie. roof and foundation before gutters and paint), condition of heritage structure, value to the community, long-term viability and visibility factor.
• Decisions regarding funding awards are subject to available funds.
• As a grant recipient, photographs of your project may be published as examples of successfully completed retorations.

NOTE:  The Policy and the Improvements and Restoration Guidelines set out the types of restoration projects eligible for a Heritage Grant.  Owners are free to carry out other types of restoration projects at their own expense.  Owners may not however, alter the exterior of a building, make a structural change to a building, or construct an addition to a building, without a Heritage Alteration Permit.

AM I ELIGIBLE?

You may be eligible to receive a grant if all four (4) criteria are met:

• your house has received Heritage Designation by the Municipality of Saanich
• your house is used for residential occupancy 
• your property taxes are not in arrears
• your property is covered by homeowners insurance 

WHEN CAN I APPLY?

As an owner of a designated heritage house, you will receive an application package in November. Early applications will receive first consideration. Applications must be received no later than JANUARY 11, 2008.

Owners are restricted to ONE application per fiscal year per property; however, the application may contain more than one project. Applications for up to $500 for emergency repairs are reviewed on an individual basis at any time. 

Funds are available for a one year period from the date the grant was approved. Any unspent funds after the one year period will be removed from the applicant's allocation unless an extension of time has been requested in writing and has been approved in advance by the SHF Board. No application shall be considered to form contractual or other obligation on the part of the SHF.

All applications will receive careful consideration but will not necessarily be funded. 

HOW DO I APPLY?

To apply for and obtain a grant, you must complete a SHF House Grants Program: Application Form and forward it to the Saanich Heritage Foundation with accompanying documentation and photographs.

ARE THERE PRIORITIES WHEN CONSIDERING THE TYPES OF PROJECTS FUNDED?

Yes. Due to funding limitations, funding projects are considered in the following order:

1.Structural work, foundations, perimeter and storm drains, chimneys, roofs, gutters and downspouts 
2.Exterior restoration and repairs, which recreate the building's heritage character 
3.Exterior preparation and painting 
4.Storm windows 
5.Historically accurate and documented fences, gates and outbuildings 

WHAT DOCUMENTATION DO I SUBMIT WITH AN APPLICATION?

• a completed House Grant Application Form  (PDF 24KB)
• written description of structural or restoration work 
• at least three (3) competitive estimates for each of the trades involved in your proposed work (the lowest estimate will not necessarily be accepted) - include completed Estimate Sheets (PDF 9KB) 
• photographs of your house before commencement of the work  (see Photographs Guidelines for details) 
• a colour scheme (PDF 9KB) and colour chips for applications for painting (see Colour Scheme Guidelines for details) 
• relevant archival photographs and historical documentation, if obtainable 

WHEN IS GRANT APPROVAL GIVEN?

Final approval is usually given to grant applications in May, after SHF receives confirmation of its funding from the Municipality of Saanich. You will be notified in writing if a grant for your project has been approved or declined.

During March and April, applications and the accompanying documentation are carefully reviewed. Inspection of the proposed project by a House Grants Committee member is arranged with the applicant. Any questions regarding the status of your application during these months should be directed to our secretary, Shirley Leggett at (250) 475-1775 (local 3504) or email at leggetts@saanich.ca.

After the grant is approved, you must notify the board of any proposed changes to your original application, or jeopardize the grant.

WHAT DO I DO WHEN THE WORK IS COMPLETED?

Upon completion of an approved project, the SHF requires the following documentation before it can release funds to the owner:

• the work must be inspected and approved by the SHF - NOTE: Funds for an approved grant will not be paid if the work is not of a quality acceptable to the SHF 
• the work must be completely and fully paid for by the owner  the Declaration of Project Completion Form, paid invoices plus receipts added to verify total cost of project and photographs taken after completion of the project (see Photographs Guidelines) must be forwarded to the SHF 

WHEN IS THE GRANT PAID?

Payment of the grant will be made following a monthly SHF meeting at which the Board has:

• reviewed the documentation and photographs submitted by the owner 
• received a favourable report from the Foundation's project representative 
• approved the grant payment 

ARE THERE RESTORATION GUIDELINES I SHOULD FOLLOW?

Yes. See Restoration Do's and Don'ts for more details concerning roofs, gutters, chimneys, masonry, foundations, storm or perimeter drains, woodwork and trim, windows, doors and paint, but these are some general rules:

• Any necessary upgrading to foundation or basic structure should be done first.
• Repair of old work is preferable to replacement with new work.
• New work should replicate old work exactly.
• If old work is missing, its replacement should be based on historic and photographic research into the same or similar buildings
• Ongoing maintenance, which minimizes the need for extensive repairs, is encouraged.

Additional information can also be found on the Heritage Socity of British Columbia's website at http://www.heritagebc.ca

WHAT ABOUT PERMITS?

A building permit must be obtained and paid for by the owner should the nature of your project require one. The submission or approval of an application to the SHF does not eliminate your need to apply to the Municipality for a building permit.

Any alteration to the exterior of a heritage designated house requires Saanich Heritage Foundation review and Saanich Council approval. Please contact the Planning Department at (250) 475-1775.

WHERE DO I SEND MY APPLICATION?

Send completed House Grants Program Application Form to:

Saanich Heritage Foundation
c/o The Office of the Municipal Clerk
770 Vernon Avenue
Victoria BC V8X 2W7