The physical space of a front porch is an opportunity to be seen and engage with your surrounding community. The outside appearance of your home is the way you represent yourself to your neighborhood and where we build community by connecting with neighbors. 

The Love Your Block program is designed to encourage neighbors to take pride in making the front of their home somewhere they want to spend time, interact with neighbors, and participate in rebuilding the social landscape of neighborhoods.

This is intended to be a joint application between you and your neighbors. Applications should demonstrate a commitment to maintaining the home improvements once the projects have been completed. Strong applications will include properties that are physically close in visual proximity and highly visible. Owner participation is a key component of the sustainability plan, whether the owner lives there or not. The sustainability plan must include how the property owner will be involved, whether through financial support or participation with labor.

ELIGIBLE USES:

Minor exterior home repairs and landscaping costs, visibly facing the public right of way and exclusively for exterior improvements, including but not limited to:

• Landscaping

• Minor exterior painting

• Pressure washing

• Overgrown vegetation

EXCLUSIONS:

• Foundation work is NOT eligible for grant funding

• Demolition is NOT eligible for funding

• Improvements to the rear of the property are NOT eligible for grant funding

Evaluation Criteria: The 17STRONG Advisory Board will consider the strength of the application based on the following criteria.

1. Location: Applications are open to Hamilton residents residing in any of Hamilton’s 17 neighborhoods. Groups that show properties with highly visible neighborhood locations and properties along main corridors will increase the strength of the application.

2. Visual Proximity of Clustered Properties: Properties that are physically close together will create more of an impact than properties that are scattered.

3. Participating Properties: Three (3) to four (4) houses in visual proximity are required to participate and must apply as a group.

4. Volunteer-led: Groups that demonstrate specifically how they will work together and assist each other in their block improvements are more competitive. It is encouraged to recruit neighborhood volunteers to help assist with the improvements.

5. A Plan to Sustain the Momentum: This is a significant factor in the competitiveness of an application. Love Your Block grants are designed to do more than improve homes. 17STRONG is seeking to partner with residents to revitalize and strengthen Hamilton neighborhoods over several years. This is accomplished both through physical improvements and just as importantly, stronger connections among neighbors.

   A strong grant application will indicate future plans for how neighbors will improve their block both physically and socially. It is a key component of the sustainability plan to include how the property owner will be involved, either through financial support or labor participation. Please describe in detail the equipment, labor, and material the neighborhood will provide during the project, and in the maintenance of the improvements once the project is complete.