The Village of Fairport is expanding a program it’s had for several years for residents who want to reopen enclosed porches.
The program began in 2018, providing matching grants up to $2,000.
Now, officials with Fairport’s Urban Renewal Agency have announced that those grants will be as much as $4,000.
Martha Malone is Executive Director for Fairport’s Office of Community + Economic Development
She said the idea with this program is to help village residents interact more often with each other.
“And there are so many beautiful homes, that as times change, as people’s needs change, front porches had become enclosed and that kind of removed that opportunity to get to know your neighbors,” said Malone.
Fairport Trustee Adam Bonosky took advantage of a matching grant several years ago, before he was elected to the village board.
He’s glad he had the chance to meet more of his neighbors.
“Especially in the summertime, one of the things we love to do as a family is sit on the front porch after going to the farmers market and have breakfast, wave and chat with the neighbors as they're walking by,” said Bonosky, who added, “that feeling, and that that sense of community, really is what makes Fairport special.”
Malone said over the five years the program has been around, the village has made over 57 grants, totaling more than $100,000. She said that leverages over $350,000 that has been invested by the homeowners themselves.
Malone said that tax dollars are not involved. The program is funded by interest income that Fairport’s Urban Renewal Agency earns from its loan portfolio.
