Youth Residential Facility Improvement Program FAQs

This program is open to New Hampshire non-profit entities that operate youth or young adult shelters housing individuals aged 18 to 25, or are such entities that provide transitional housing for young adults that are recognized by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and currently licensed by DHHS to provide youth treatment in a residential setting.

An applicant that is currently licensed (in good standing) by DHHS to provide youth treatment in a residential setting must also hold one of the following residential based child care program license types with DHHS:

• Group Home;
• Child Care Institution;
• Homeless Youth Program; or
• Independent Living Home.

Additionally, an applicant must be registered with the New Hampshire Charitable Trusts Unit of the Department of Justice.

In this program, awards can be issued for eligible projects that are already completed, ongoing, or new for work done after March 3, 2021. Payment of funds will be made on a reimbursement basis for expenditures incurred by December 31, 2023.

Note: Only one award for eligible expenses will be issued to each eligible facility in this program. If awards are being sought for multiple facilities owned or operated by a single entity, each facility must complete a separate application. An entity that received an award in the previous round can apply for funds for a new project with another eligible facility; with a maximum award per entity of $5,000,000 total.

Please indicate in the application and/or in response to GOFERR outreach if the entity intends to submit applications for multiple facilities/projects.

After awards are issued in this program, they may be subject to approval by the Governor and Executive Council.

The project or expenses must be for facility improvements designed to:

• Improve indoor air quality,
• Mitigate the spread of respiratory diseases including COVID-19,
• Improve the provision of services,
• Physical modifications that address staffing challenges, or
• To ensure the health and safety of program participants, while maintaining the approved program capacity.

Eligible expenditures for existing facilities include:

• Installation and improvements of ventilation systems; and
• Adaptations to congregate living facilities for the purpose of mitigating spread of respiratory disease, including COVID-19, within the facility.

If an application involves construction of a new congregate facility, as opposed to rehabilitation or remodeling of an existing structure, additional information and documentation will be required as part of the application. See Question #9.

Note: Operational costs are not eligible, and U.S. Treasury defines capital expenditure in 2 CFR 200.13 and capital asset in 2 CFR 200.12, which GOFERR will use as guidance in determining eligible expenditures.

If a project is not completed by the time all awarded funds are expended, the project must be completed by September 30, 2024. However, in very limited circumstances and on a project-by-project basis, GOFERR may have the ability to extend the deadline for completion.

Awards will be issued for 50% of the cost of eligible projects or expenses, subject to a 50% match by the entity, up to the maximum award per entity of $5,000,000.

For example, with the match, an entity could receive an award of $5,000,000 for eligible projects and expenses totaling $10,000,000 or greater.

Reminder: Only one award for eligible expenses will be issued to each eligible facility in this program. If awards are being sought for multiple facilities owned or operated by a single entity, each facility must complete a separate application.  An entity that received an award in the previous round can apply for funds for a new project with another eligible facility; with a maximum award per entity of $5,000,000 total.

Please indicate in the application and/or in response to GOFERR outreach if the entity intends to submit applications for multiple facilities/projects.

As a result, once a facility has submitted an application and notice of an award for that application has been sent by GOFERR, no future applications will be considered.

Note: After award notices are issued in this program, they will be subject to approval by the Governor and Executive Council.

Generally, receipt of other COVID-19 relief will not make an entity ineligible to apply to this program.

However, if an entity has received other aid for the same costs for which it is seeking an award in this program, the application will be denied or award reduced.

To apply for this program, please visit the program page on GOFERR's website by clicking here. That page will contain important program details, links to application materials, and instructions on how to submit your application.

The entity will need the contact and financial information relevant to your entity's application, as well as information on your entity's proposed, existing, or completed project(s).

The entity will also be asked to provide documentation on the proposed facility improvement(s) as part of its application. See FAQ #9 for more information on required documentation. Failure to provide required documentation will result in an application being deemed incomplete and not submitted. GOFERR may contact the applicant as part of the review process, but the required documents listed in the application must be provided as part of the initial application to be deemed "complete."

If an entity is applying for improvements to more than one facility, it will need to complete an application for each facility that will be improved by a project.

For assistance submitting an application, please contact GOFERR at info@goferr.nh.gov.

The application period for the second round of this program will close on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, at 04:00 PM.

GOFERR will review completed applications that contain all necessary support and documentation received by that date.

GOFERR recommends submitting completed applications promptly, as they may require follow up and additional documentation or information, and an incomplete application will impact award eligibility.

Note: If the eligible requests received by the application deadline exceed the total funds available, program awards will be made on a pro rata basis.

Only one award for eligible expenses will be issued to each eligible facility in this program. If awards are being sought for multiple facilities owned or operated by a single entity, each facility must complete a separate application.  An entity that received an award in the previous round can apply for funds for a new project with another eligible facility; with a maximum award per entity of $5,000,000 total.

Please indicate in the application and/or in response to GOFERR outreach if the entity intends to submit applications for multiple facilities/projects.

After review of an application and approval of a project and award, GOFERR will work with eligible recipients and projects to coordinate next steps and assess any state or federal requirements that would apply to the project.

After an award notice is issued, the entity will enter into an agreement with GOFERR in the form of a forgivable loan. That forgivable loan will be subject to and contingent upon Governor and Executive Council approval at a scheduled meeting.

Generally, the terms of the forgivable loan will provide principal funds for approved expenditures, at a 0% interest rate, and require the project to be completed by a set date and meet certain project and reporting requirements. Disbursement of funds under the forgivable loan on eligible expenses will be made either on a reimbursement basis or as part of a drawdown schedule, depending on the size and nature of the project.

Upon completion and satisfaction of the terms of the agreement, the loan will be forgiven. If the project is not completed or the agreement is otherwise violated, the entity may be required to pay back the entirety of the loan.

Projects must be completed, and all ARPA SFRF funds used on the project expended, by September 30, 2024. In very limited circumstances, and on a project-by-project basis, GOFERR may have the ability to extend the deadline for completion.

Reminder: The maximum award that can be received on any application is up to 50% of the eligible project costs, up to $5,000,000. If the eligible requests received exceed the funds available, program awards will be made on a pro rata basis, potentially subject to a cap.

Only one award for eligible expenses will be issued to each eligible facility in this program. If awards are being sought for multiple facilities owned or operated by a single entity, each facility must complete a separate application.  An entity that received an award in the previous round can apply for funds for a new project with another eligible facility; with a maximum award per entity of $5,000,000 total.

Please indicate in the application and/or in response to GOFERR outreach if the entity intends to submit applications for multiple facilities/projects.

Yes. The application requires that an entity submit necessary supporting documentation, which may include:

• Proof of applicable licensing;
• The anticipated and/or actual cost of the proposed facility improvement(s); and
• Documentation of additional justifications/analysis that may be required, such as for projects of $1 million or more or involving new facilities (see below).

Additional documentation that supports an application is encouraged, as GOFERR may also require additional documentation as part of its application review.

Analysis for Projects with Costs of $1 Million or More

In addition to other application materials, a written justification for capital projects or expenditures with a total cost of $1 million or more must be provided and include:

• Comparison of the proposed capital project against at least two alternative types or sizes of capital expenditures that are potentially effective and reasonably feasible, and demonstration of why the proposed capital project is superior.
• Comparison of the proposal against the alternative of improving other existing capital assets already owned or leasing other capital assets, if applicable.
• To the extent possible, provide relevant data when making comparisons, and if data is not available, please explain why. 
• Important considerations:
  • The effectiveness of the capital expenditure in addressing the harm identified and the expected total cost (including pre-development costs) against at least the two alternative capital expenditures identified.
  • How the proposed capital project is a proportional response to the need the entity wishes to address. 

New Facility Analysis

If the capital project for which the entity is seeking expense reimbursement involves a new facility, additional details are needed. Please complete the below analysis and submit it as a separate document in conjunction with your application.

The federal government has stated that new congregate facilities are presumed ineligible. That presumption may be overcome by providing a written justification for a new congregate facility, as opposed to rehabilitation or remodeling of an existing facility. In order for a new facility to be considered, the applicant must provide the following in addition to other application materials:

• Explanation as to why the proposed new facility is a better and more suitable alternative to improving an existing facility already owned or leased.
  • Such an explanation should include how construction of the proposed new facility is a proportional response to the need the entity wishes to address.

Note: This documentation and portions of the application that relate to explanation and justification for the project may be required to be provided to U.S. Treasury as part of federal reporting.

The entity should not submit application until it is certain it is complete and has the correct and necessary supporting documents. GOFERR may, but is not required to, request clarification if information provided is incomplete or missing.

If the entity has not received notice of an award, it may file a corrected application if the entity becomes aware of an error.  Please notify GOFERR immediately if a second application is filed, as the original application may already be under review. The corrected application must contain all of the information that you want considered, even if it was otherwise correct in an earlier application, as GOFERR will not look to an earlier filed application for missing information.

GOFERR will assume that the application filed last in time, for an individual facility, is the most complete and will only process the last in time application (up until notice of an award/decision is sent by GOFERR).

GOFERR, as part of its outreach, may request any missing documentation. Additionally, GOFERR may request validation or clarification to answers already submitted which may result in supplementation of answers.

Note:  Only one award for eligible expenses will be issued to each eligible facility in this program. If awards are being sought for multiple facilities owned or operated by a single entity, each facility must complete a separate application. An entity that received an award in the previous round can apply for funds for a new project with another eligible facility; with a maximum award per entity of $5,000,000 total.

Please indicate in the application and/or in response to GOFERR outreach if the entity intends to submit applications for multiple facilities/projects.

After award notices are issued in this program, they may be subject to approval by the Governor and Executive Council.

Appeals are permitted under the circumstances described below, and any appeals must be submitted within 15 business days of receiving a notice of award or denial.

• Contesting eligibility:
  • Provide an explanation and evidence to substantiate claim about why the entity is actually eligible for the program.
• Award determinations:
  • Provide an explanation and evidence supporting that the calculation of the award, based on the information submitted in the application, was in error.
• Application submission errors:
  • Only obvious typographical errors can be corrected, such as misplacing a decimal point or transposing digits.

Appeal requests and relevant evidence must be submitted in writing electronically to Appeals@goferr.nh.gov within 15 business days of the date a notice of award or denial was sent by GOFERR.

The appeal will be determined based on the written submission and documents in GOFERR's possession. No hearing will be held.>/p>

Applicants will receive a notice of the determination on the appeal. No further appeal is allowed.

For questions concerning the application, please contact info@goferr.nh.gov.

No. The entity may attach as many documents as are needed to support their application, but GOFERR recommends combining documents and using a PDF format to reduce the potential for errors or formatting issues.

If the entity encounters any issues, please contact info@goferr.nh.gov.

Yes. If an entity does not want this information to be made public, it should not submit an application.

Note: If the total cost of a project submitted for even partial funding under this program is $10 million or more and does not involve a new facility, the written justifications and portions of the application may be required to be provided to U.S. Treasury as part of federal reporting requirements.

If the project does involve a new facility and the total project cost is $1 million or more, the written justifications may be required to be provided to U.S. Treasury as part of federal reporting requirements.

Treasury may make all or part of any such report available to the public.