COVID-19 Impact Shelter Program - FAQs

Nonprofit homeless service providers already existing in New Hampshire that were providing shelter and related services to homeless individuals and families as of January 1, 2021 and are in good standing with the New Hampshire Charitable Trusts Unit of the New Hampshire Department of Justice.

To apply for this program, please visit the program page on GOFERR’s website by clicking here. On that page, scroll down to and click on the “Apply Now” button.

You will need the contact and financial information relevant to your entity’s application, including appropriate documentation to be attached to the application.

For this program, that may include but is not limited to documents supporting:

• Expenses incurred to pay for the increased costs associated with responding to the pandemic; or
• Expenses incurred to facilitate compliance with COVID-19-related public health measures and help reduce the likelihood of ongoing transmission of COVID-19

We strongly encourage that applications be finalized and submitted prior to the last day of the application period, which is December 15, 2021, at 4:00 p.m. If you require assistance submitting an application, please contact GOFERR at info@goferr.nh.gov.

See “Question 4” for additional information.

The COVID-19 Shelter Impact Program is a $6 million fund. Awards will be issued on a pro rata basis with a $500,000 cap after the application period closes at 4:00 p.m. on December 15.

Please indicate in the application if you are claiming anticipated or projected expenses for the period of December 15 to December 31, include those expenses in your total expenses claimed, provide supporting documentation for incurred expenses, and provide any available supporting documentation for projected expenses.

Claiming anticipated or projected expenses will require additional steps, including a separate grant agreement and a subsequent report identifying actually-incurred expenses as of December 31, 2021.

To the extent that they have not been claimed in any other COVID-19 relief program, the following types of expenses are eligible:

• The amount of expenses incurred since January 1, 2021, at locations within the State of New Hampshire, to pay for increased operating costs associated with responding to the pandemic, but not including payroll related expenses.
  • You will need to demonstrate your pre-COVID operating costs and show that there is an increase.
• Alternatively, you can request the amount of expenses incurred since January 1, 2021, at locations within the State of New Hampshire, to facilitate compliance with COVID-19-related public health measures, and help reduce the likelihood of ongoing transmission of COVID-19.
  • Examples would include additional or increased expenses for:
    • Cleaning services and supplies;
    • Technology for client/community uses;
    • Expanded programs or services to meet enhanced needs;
    • Day programming expenses;
    • Blankets and/or tents;
    • PPE and COVID testing;
    • HVAC or other equipment that mitigates the spread of COVID-19;
    • Site modifications completed by December 31, 2021, such as bathroom modifications or floor-plan changes to increase space between shelter guests; and
    • Purchase, lease, or rental of alternate sites.
      • However, mortgage, lease, or rental payments that will be incurred after December 31, 2021 are not eligible.   
  • Rental assistance for housing individuals is not a permitted expense.

You may not apply for any expense that you have already claimed in any other state or federal COVID-19 relief program, including but not limited to any Shelter Modification Program or the Non-Profit Emergency Relief Fund.

The expense, equipment, or infrastructure must have been purchased after January 1, 2021 and the purchase complete or payments made by December 31, 2021.

If work or modifications are not complete by the end of the year, reimbursement may only occur for the amount of work completed and in use by December, 31 2021.

Yes.  For expenses, you will need to demonstrate your pre-COVID-19 (i.e. 2019) operating costs and show that there is an increase. You will need to provide an itemized ledger or records of purchase for other COVID-19 mitigation expenses, such as PPE or COVID-19 testing. 

For equipment or infrastructure, you must upload documentation that shows that the equipment was purchased after January 1, 2021 and the amount of payments made up to your application submission date.  Unpaid balances cannot be included. 

For site modification or acquiring alternate sites, an itemized ledger or records of payment for the project or the lease, or closing documents for the purchase showing the purchase price and amount that will be paid prior to December 31, 2021 is required. Purchased items and projects must be in use or completed by December 31.

Construction costs, mortgage, lease or rental payments that will be incurred after December 31, 2021 are not eligible. Pre-payment for work not yet performed is also not allowed. 

Within one application, you may claim incurred expenses up to the time you submit your application by the submission deadline, and you may claim anticipated or projected expenses for the period of December 15 to December 31, 2021. The application deadline is December 15, 2021, at 4:00 p.m.

However, all purchases or work must be completed by December 31, 2021.

Please indicate in the application if you are claiming anticipated or projected expenses, include those expenses in your total expenses claimed, provide supporting documentation for incurred expenses, and provide any available supporting documentation for projected expenses.

NOTE: Claiming anticipated or projected expenses will require additional steps, including a separate grant agreement and a subsequent report that would be filed in January justifying actually-incurred expenses as of December 31, 2021. Payments on awards claiming anticipated or projected expenses will only be made after a report is submitted and reviewed.

You should not submit your application until you are certain it is complete and you have the correct documents ready to upload, as you will not be able to make changes after submission.  You can save your application and finish it later, if needed. 

However, if you realize that you made an error or omitted a document before the application period closes, you can submit a new application that contains the updated information. 

GOFERR will assume that the application filed last in time is the most complete and will only process the last in time application. 

The corrected application must contain all of the information that you want considered, even if it was otherwise correct in your earlier application, as GOFERR will not look to an earlier filed application for missing information.

GOFERR will not add documents to a submitted application or change answers that you have already submitted.

As a result of federally required deadlines for closing award determinations on CARES Act funded programs, appeals will not be possible in this program.

First, if you have already started an application, please check your email inbox for your login information provided as part of your registration process.

In the event that you cannot find your login information or continue to have any difficulty, please contact info@goferr.nh.gov. 

We strongly encourage that applications be finalized and submitted prior to the last day of the application period, which is December 15, 2021, at 4:00 p.m. If you require assistance submitting an application, please contact GOFERR at info@goferr.nh.gov.

Applicants will need to use an internet browser such as Microsoft Edge, Firefox, or Google Chrome to complete the application. Internet Explorer will not work properly with this application.

There are several options. We recommend carefully reading the instructions regarding the supporting documentation provided as part of the application.

Only one document per upload is allowed and will be recognized by the system. We recommend if you have multiple documents to combine them into the appropriate number of documents as explained above.

Alternatively, if for some reason you do not have the appropriate software to combine PDFs this can be done by printing the documents and scanning them together as one document to pdf.

Please also note that below the required document fields, there are “optional” document field(s) that provide the ability to upload up to three optional documents. 

If you for some reason still encounter any issues please contact info@goferr.nh.gov.