Historic Preservation Grants, Loans & Tax Credits in New York
Historic property owners in New York City and throughout New York State may be eligible for grants, low-interest loans, and tax credits to help finance building restoration and rehabilitation. Programs administered by preservation organizations and government agencies provide assistance for qualifying projects, from facade and roof repairs to substantial building rehabilitation.
The following programs offer funding and technical assistance for eligible historic properties, including residential, commercial, nonprofit, and religious buildings. Geographic eligibility, funding amounts, and application requirements vary by program.
Historic Preservation Grant Program
Nonprofit Technical Assistance Grant Program
Queens Historic Properties Fund
New York State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program for Income Producing Properties
New York State Historic Homeownership Rehabilitation Tax Credit
Historic Properties Fund
The Historic Properties Fund, administered by the New York Landmarks Conservancy, provides low-interest loans and project management assistance to owners of historic residential, nonprofit, religious, and commercial properties throughout New York City, primarily in low- and moderate-income communities.
Loans generally range from $80,000 to $300,000 for exterior restoration and structural repairs, with terms typically ranging from five to 10 years.
Eligible properties include individually designated landmarks, buildings within local historic districts, and properties listed or eligible for listing on the State or National Register of Historic Places. Applicants must demonstrate financial capability and provide acceptable collateral.
Historic Preservation Grant Program
The NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission’s Historic Preservation Grant Program provides grants ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 to income-eligible homeowners and qualifying nonprofit organizations for the restoration of deteriorated historic building facades.
Eligible work may include masonry rebuilding and repointing, roof and stoop repairs, restoration of sills and lintels, and repair or replacement of windows, cornices, and front doors.
Properties must be designated NYC landmarks, located within historic districts, or listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Applicants must meet applicable income or nonprofit eligibility requirements. Organizations and homeowners that received a grant within the previous 10 years are not eligible for another award.
The program is funded through the federal Community Development Block Grant Program.
Nonprofit Technical Assistance Grant Program
The New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Nonprofit Technical Assistance Grant Program, formerly the City Ventures Fund, provides grants of $5,000 to $30,000 to nonprofit organizations rehabilitating architecturally significant buildings for affordable housing or other uses benefiting lower-income communities.
Funding may support building repairs and professional services, with priority given to structural repairs and exterior improvements that contribute to the surrounding neighborhood.
Eligible applicants include nonprofit housing corporations, community development organizations, social service agencies, and other qualifying nonprofit groups. Properties do not need to be officially designated landmarks.
Grant recipients also receive project management assistance from Conservancy staff and consulting architects and engineers.
The Queens Historic Properties Fund
The Queens Historic Properties Fund, a partnership between the New York Landmarks Conservancy and the Queens Historical Society, provides grants and project management assistance for historic properties in Queens.
Originally a revolving loan fund, the program transitioned to grants in 2025. Grants of up to $10,000 are generally available for exterior restoration, structural repairs, and architectural services.
Eligible properties include designated landmarks, buildings listed or eligible for listing on the State or National Register of Historic Places, and contributing buildings within qualifying historic districts. The program serves residential, nonprofit, religious, and commercial properties.
Sacred Sites Program
The New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Sacred Sites Program provides financial and technical assistance to historic religious properties throughout New York State.
The Sacred Sites Grants
The program offers matching grants ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 for eligible exterior restoration projects at historic houses of worship.
Priority is given to essential repairs to primary worship buildings, including roofing and drainage improvements, masonry restoration, structural repairs, and stained glass window restoration.
Properties must be owned by religious institutions, actively used for worship, and individually designated or recognized as contributing properties within qualifying historic districts.
Construction grant applications are accepted twice annually, with deadlines of January 15 and June 1. Work already contracted, started, or completed is not eligible.
Consulting Grants
Consulting Grants, offered through the Sacred Sites Program, provide matching grants of up to $15,000 for professional services related to the restoration of qualifying historic houses of worship.
Eligible services include building condition assessments, architectural and engineering evaluations, structural investigations, restoration plans and specifications, and other preservation-related studies.
For properties within New York City, consulting grant applications are reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year. Applicants must meet the Sacred Sites Program’s historic designation, ownership, and active worship requirements.
Emergency Preservation Grant
The New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Emergency Preservation Grant Program provides grants ranging from $2,500 to $25,000 for urgent repairs to historic properties owned and occupied by nonprofit organizations in New York City.
Funding addresses recently identified hazards or deterioration, such as falling masonry, new roof leaks, fire damage, and structural conditions threatening the building’s safety or historic integrity.
Eligible properties must be designated landmarks, listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, or contributing buildings within qualifying historic districts.
The program does not fund building-wide rehabilitation or major capital improvements that are part of a larger restoration plan. Religious properties actively used for worship and market-rate co-op and condominium buildings are excluded.
New York State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit for Income-Producing Properties
Owners of qualifying income-producing historic properties may be eligible for New York State historic rehabilitation tax credits in addition to the 20% federal credit. The state credit generally equals 20% of qualified rehabilitation expenditures, with a 30% credit available for qualifying smaller projects with expenditures of $2.5 million or less. The maximum state credit is $5 million per structure.
To qualify, properties must be approved for the federal historic rehabilitation tax credit and generally must be located in an eligible census tract, with certain exceptions.
Beginning in tax year 2026, qualifying affordable housing rehabilitation projects may be exempt from the state’s census tract requirements. Projects must meet specific affordability criteria and have a qualifying regulatory agreement that maintains affordability restrictions for at least 30 years and is binding on subsequent owners.
Also beginning in 2026, eligible New York State historic rehabilitation tax credits may be transferred once to an eligible recipient, subject to approval from the State Historic Preservation Office.
New York State Historic Homeownership Rehabilitation Tax Credit
The New York State Historic Homeownership Rehabilitation Tax Credit provides a state income tax credit equal to 20% of qualified rehabilitation expenses, up to $25,000 per eligible taxpayer per year.
Eligible properties include owner-occupied historic homes and qualifying cooperative and condominium residences. Buildings must meet historic designation requirements and be located in an eligible census tract.
At least $5,000 must be spent on qualifying rehabilitation work, with a minimum of 5% of expenditures devoted to exterior improvements. Projects must receive approval from the State Historic Preservation Office before work begins.
The credit may apply to eligible repairs, restoration, and building system improvements that comply with applicable preservation requirements. Co-op and condo owners should consult the state’s program guidance regarding individual and shared building expenditures.
Real Property Tax Exemptions for Historic Properties
Under New York State Real Property Tax Law § 444-a, municipalities may offer partial property tax exemptions for increases in assessed value resulting from qualifying rehabilitation of historic properties.
Where adopted, the exemption generally covers 100% of the increase in assessed value attributable to the rehabilitation for five years, followed by a gradual phaseout over the next four years. Local governments may reduce the exemption or limit the types of eligible work.
Properties must be designated local landmarks or contributing buildings within locally designated historic districts. Rehabilitation work must comply with local preservation requirements and receive approval from the local preservation commission before construction begins.
Because the exemption is optional, property owners should confirm availability and eligibility requirements with their local assessor.
Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit
The Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit provides a federal income tax credit equal to 20% of qualified rehabilitation expenditures for eligible income-producing historic properties, including commercial, office, industrial, and rental residential buildings.
To qualify, a building must be certified as historic by the National Park Service, undergo a substantial rehabilitation, and be used for an income-producing purpose. Rehabilitation work must comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.
Both interior and exterior work may be included, although not all construction expenditures qualify. Owner-occupied residential properties are generally ineligible for the federal credit.
The National Park Service and State Historic Preservation Offices review rehabilitation proposals, while the Internal Revenue Service determines qualified expenditures and applicable tax requirements.
Funding amounts, program availability, eligibility requirements, and application procedures are subject to change. Property owners should consult the administering organization for current information and seek appropriate financial or tax advice when evaluating incentives.
Last reviewed: October 2026