New Hampshire Coalition of Recovery Residences
Economic Relief Bridge Program
The New Hampshire Coalition of Recovery Residences (NHCORR) has been awarded $50,000 by the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority (NH HFA) to help NHCORR certified recovery homes facing financial hardships due to COVID-19.
Interest-free loans of up to $3,000 are available to recovery home organizations actively certified on or after March 15, 2020. The loans will be distributed to qualified applicants on a first come first serve basis until all of the $50,000 award has been distributed.
If your certified recovery home(s) maintain(s) NHCORR certification for two years from the date your loan application was accepted, the loan will be forgiven. This means you do not have to pay it back. If any of your certified homes have certification suspended or revoked, or if you fail to re-certify at any time within two years from the date your loan application was accepted, you may be required to pay the loan back immediately and in full. If the recovery home that earned primary certification closes completely (meaning you didn’t relocate it and maintain your NHCORR certification) within two years from the date your loan application was accepted, you will be required to pay the loan back immediately and in full.
This interest-free loan is intended to support NHCORR certified recovery homes. It is not a scholarship program for residents.
The loan can only be used to pay operating expenses: the mortgage, the rent if the recovery home is a leased property, property tax, utilities, or pre-purchased winter fuel for professionally installed heating systems (except for wood or pellet stoves).
To be eligible to receive this loan, the recovery home operator fills out the Economic Relief Bridge Program application and includes a copy of the mortgage, rent, utility or property tax bill, or the fuel pre-buy contract. NHCORR will pay the bank, company, or city/town listed on the bill. The loan is not paid directly to the recovery home. You can submit multiple bills, but NHCORR will only pay up to $3,000 of the combined bills. The applicant must indicate which portion of each bill is to be paid.
Organizations that own or operate more than one certified home may submit bills for any of their certified homes, but no multi-home organization will receive more than $3,000. You may not submit bills for uncertified homes.
The following guidelines apply for all loans:
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The recovery home owner/operator must be the applicant. A house manager or staff or residents cannot apply on behalf of the owner/operator.
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The proceeds of the loan must be used to support operating expenses of NHCORR certified homes.
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The recovery home must have been in operation since March 15, 2020, although active NHCORR certification may have been obtained after that date.
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Only one loan may be awarded to a recovery home organization, even if that organization operates multiple homes. The loan may be used to pay operating expenses of multiple certified homes, but no recovery home organization will receive more than one loan up to $3,000.
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The terms of the loan are two years, zero-interest, with deferred payments for the first 24 months, except that you won’t have to make those deferred payments if you follow the conditions of the program which are to stay open and stay certified for two years after receiving the loan.
Application Process
Loan applications and guidelines for the Economic Relief Bridge Program may be obtained from NHCORR by emailing admin@nhcorr.org. A rolling application period will begin August 24, 2020 and continue until the $50,000 award is distributed.
Applications will only be considered if the following are included:
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The Application form is completed in full and signed by the recovery home owner/operator.
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Statements, bills, invoices, or contracts are included and are specifically connected to certified recovery home(s).
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The bills, invoices, or statements clearly state the service address (the address of the recovery home), the account number, the amount due, and the name and address of the company or city/town.
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The combined total of the bills submitted does not exceed $3,000.
NHCORR will notify you by email if your application has been accepted or declined.
If your application has been accepted, NHCORR will pay the bills, invoices, or fuel pre-buy directly to the payee printed on the materials you submitted with your application. It is really important that your account number is clear on the bills or invoices you submit. Typically, without an account number, payments cannot be credited to the correct account when they are received by the utility company or bank or city/town. Please circle the account number on the bills you submit to make it easier for NHCORR to find that information.
It is expected that NHCORR will make payments within one month of accepting your application. This means that you should be submitting bills and invoices that you are going to pay anyway so that the NHCORR payment is credited toward your account going forward. NHCORR cannot be responsible for making payments that are considered late, payments considered late that adversely affect your credit, payments considered late that result in suspension of services, payments considered late that result in service charges, interest, or overdraft fees. PLEASE PLAN AHEAD.
Each recovery home organization is allowed to apply one time toward the $3,000 loan. Please submit all eligible bills together in one application. If the bills total more than $3,000, indicate what bills are to be paid in full and what portion of other bills should be paid. Again, the amount requested must not exceed $3,000.
Bills, statements, or invoices that are submitted fraudulently or that do not specifically support the operating expenses of an NHCORR certified recovery home will lead to suspension or revocation of NHCORR certification.
Application Confidentiality
Applications will remain confidential, but obviously the company or city or town receiving the payment will know it is coming to them from NHCORR on your account’s behalf.
Ready to apply?
Contact NHCORR by email - admin@nhcorr.org or call (603) 715.1514.
UPDATE:
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This program is no longer being supported by NHCORR. Contact us with any questions regarding this program.