Belknap House receives grant award for sewer repairs

LACONIA — The Community Development Finance Authority recently made $5.1 million in awards for community-driven projects in New Hampshire, including one in Laconia.

Belknap House, a shelter located downtown, received $100,000 for sewer line repairs. The project will benefit an estimated 47 people, including adults and children, who are experiencing homelessness.  

The sewer pipes there are about 100 years old, and the connection from the shelter to the city sewer needs emergency repairs, after leaking sewage into the basement was discovered in December 2025.  

Belknap House is the only family-centered shelter in Belknap County, and provides educational programming, and case management for parents.

The grant awards must be approved by the governor and Executive Council. 

CDBG funds are available to communities through the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority. Up to $500,000 annually is available for economic development projects, up to $500,000 for housing projects, up to $500,000 for public facilities projects, up to $500,000 in emergency funds, and up to $25,000 per planning study grant. All projects must directly benefit a majority of low- and moderate-income people.

Since 2003, CDFA has awarded over $213 million in Community Block Development Grants. These are federal funds which support economic development, housing and community-based initiatives which benefit primarily low- and moderate-income people. Funding for the CDBG program is provided through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In January, city councilors approved an application to CDFA for up to $100,000 in CDBG emergency funds. Of that figure, up to $15,000 would be retained by the city for administrative and labor compliance costs associated with the project, and up to $85,000 would be subgranted to Belknap House.  

“The project conforms with Laconia’s Housing Community Development Plan’s goal of [promoting] activities that protect the health, safety of residents and visitors, which is a short-term and a long-term goal,” Donna Lane, CDBG consultant, said during a council meeting in January. “Recently, there was an issue with the sewer line, and they unclogged it, but found issues. So it needs to be fixed, and it's a lot of money for Belknap House.”

At that meeting on Jan. 12, resident Doug Robinson told councilors he was concerned about Belknap House receiving the grant funding.

“The CDB grant [sic] requires the City of Laconia to act as the legal applicant for the fiscal agent, and, even though the project benefits a nonprofit, this means the city carries the compliance responsibilities, reporting obligations and potential liabilities if federal rules are not followed,” Robinson read from a printed statement. “This is not a small administrative task.”

Robinson told councilors $100,000 is too much money, and people who work in excavation told him it should cost less. 

Work to repair the sewer line hasn’t begun, but Belknap House employees are looking into bids. 

“If we get the money and it costs $40,000, then we don’t take it all, and it stays with CDFA, CDBG. We just need to have enough in there to be sure that we can afford to do the work. It’s 15% for CDBG administrative, up to 15%,” Lane said.