Land Use Planning
Financial Assistance
Due to state budget cuts, the municipal planning grant program has been eliminated. This includes first time comprehensive planning grants, implementation grants, and update grants. We still hope to have a small amount of funding available for regional challenge grants and will post a program statement after July 1, 2008 if those funds are available.
The Office of Community Development at the Department of Economic and Community Development may have planning grant funds available for qualifying communities through the community development block grant program.
Brownfields
Patient Sewer Loan
The State of Maine is initiating a Patient Sewer Loan pilot program to assist Maine cities and towns that wish to encourage neighborhood development in residential growth areas. The Program, part of our “Hometown Maine” initiative, is a cooperative effort of the Maine Municipal Bond Bank, the Maine Departments of Environmental Protection and Economic and Community Development, the State Planning Office, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. $3 million is available through this pilot program.
Additional Federal & State Funding Opportunities
- Catalog of Federal Funding Sources for Watershed Protection - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Community Development Block Grant Programs - Maine's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program provides funding and technical support for projects that achieve local community and economic development objectives, while principally benefiting low-moderate income persons. These programs are only available to Maine towns, cities and counties for the benefit of Maine residents. Grants are administered by the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development.
- Maine Safe Routes to School Program - Matching grant program to improve safety for Maine children who bike or walk to school. Typical improvements include sidewalks, crosswalks and traffic signals, and separating children from traffic in school areas. The program is open to all Maine municipalities and school districts.
