Celebrates Statewide Impact on Housing, Small Businesses and Child Care
CDFA made 69 investments in community-based projects, infusing $16.5 million into community development, economic development, and clean energy projects throughout New Hampshire in State Fiscal Year 2025. Information on CDFA’s impact, as well as organizational and program highlights, are detailed in its newly published 2025 Annual Report.
“This past year brought new opportunities to deepen our commitment to New Hampshire’s nonprofits, municipalities, and businesses,” stated Katherine Easterly Martey, Executive Director, CDFA. “We continue to serve as a reliable funding partner. Our commitment to strategic resource deployment ensures that public and private funds are used effectively to address pressing community needs – particularly in areas such as housing instability and child care.”
Easterly Martey continued, “As we look ahead, CDFA remains committed to building a New Hampshire where communities are economically and socially resilient. We will continue to pursue cost-effective strategies, leverage partnerships, and ensure that our resources are deployed with precision and purpose.”
State Fiscal Year 2025 investments supported nonprofits, municipalities, and small businesses in delivering essential services, creating jobs, developing affordable housing, increasing access to child care, enhancing energy efficiency, and strengthening local economies. Notably, initiatives supported by CDFA reported the following impacts last fiscal year:
• Assisted or served 40,727 people;
• Rehabbed, preserved or created 185 housing units;
• Supported 342 micro businesses and created or retained 54 jobs; and
• Developed or rehabbed 97,676 square feet.
Organizational and Program Highlights
CDFA continued to align with its strategic goals, support critical statewide initiatives, and increase the organization’s capacity to assist municipal, nonprofit and business partners to advance community-based projects.
Adoption of Updated Living Strategic Plan
CDFA’s Board of Directors adopted a revised Living Strategic Plan. The effort was informed by collective analysis of data, trends and emerging statewide, regional and local themes. Updates were made to CDFA’s strategic priorities across community impact, partnerships, operational capacity and sustainability, and governance. The updated strategic plan is available to view via an interactive website that highlights the various ways CDFA is advancing work across the four strategic priorities. View CDFA’s Living Strategic Plan.
Developed New Resources
CDFA created several new resources on topics core to the organization’s mission and approach to program administration, including: Integrating Data and Community Voice in Decision Making; Community Engagement: Listening to People in Place; Supporting Successful Implementation: Meeting Compliance Requirements; and the Importance of Planning Grants.
Leadership of the Council on Housing Stability
CDFA continued to co-lead the Council on Housing Stability. The Council released its 2024 Annual Report and Year in Review, highlighting progress made towards realizing the goals, objectives and implementation activities. Additional highlights of the Council’s collective work includes the adoption of a comprehensive new Policy Framework to address New Hampshire’s housing crisis. The Council is in the process of developing its 2025 – 2028 strategic plan to guide its work moving forward and establish a solid foundation to sustain the Council’s efforts indefinitely.
Expanded Access to Child Care
CDFA invested more than $4 million into initiatives that focused on expanding access to quality, affordable child care in communities across the state. Investments included Community Development Block Grant resources to the Town of Gorham to support the Gorham Community Learning Center in acquiring and rehabilitating a vacant building to relocate and expand its existing childcare center. CDFA also leveraged one-time funds to support family child care providers as small businesses and educators through nine regional partners.
Advocated for Reduced Barriers and Program Enhancements for Rural Communities
CDFA responded to a bipartisan effort underway to reauthorize the federal Community Development Block Grant program in recognition that it is a powerful tool that supports states and local communities to meet prioritized housing and community development needs. CDFA submitted a letter to members of the Committee with jurisdiction over programs at the Department of Housing and Urban Development highlighting key themes for program modifications and improvements based on feedback from New Hampshire partners. CDFA’s letter to members of the subcommittee can be viewed here.
Launched the Low-Moderate Income Solar Grant and Loan Program
CDFA launched the Low-Moderate Income Solar Grant and Loan Program in early 2025 and has swiftly deployed these resources. The program aims to expand opportunities for New Hampshire residents with limited income to access the benefits of solar and other cost saving energy resources. Funding includes grants and coordinated low-interest financing to housing and community organizations that provide support to these residents.
Grew New Partnerships and Place-based Work through Community Conversations
CDFA and New Hampshire Humanities (NHH) launched a series of Community Conversations across six New Hampshire locations aimed at exploring the changing nature of communities and the role of community centers in strengthening our state’s towns and cities. Community Conversations were held in Whitefield, Nashua, Harrisville, North Conway, Holderness, and Portsmouth. Powerful and unique highlights of the discussion can be seen in artwork created by Marek Bennett, an artist who accompanied the sessions and captured key themes. View the Community Conversations Booklets by Marek Bennett.
Underscoring many of these initiatives is the opportunity to invest technical and financial resources to build capacity and resiliency within our communities. Collectively, these efforts have resulted in CDFA serving a more expansive base of communities, nonprofits and businesses across New Hampshire.
For more information on resources available to New Hampshire nonprofits, municipalities and businesses through CDFA’s programs, visit www.nhcdfa.org.
About the Community Development Finance Authority
The Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) is a statewide nonprofit public authority focused on maximizing the value and impact of community development, economic development and clean energy initiatives throughout New Hampshire. The organization leverages a variety of financial and technical resources, including the competitive deployment of grant, loan and equity programs. Those resources include New Hampshire state tax credits, federal Community Development Block Grant resources and the CDFA Clean Energy Fund. For more information about CDFA and its programs visit www.nhcdfa.org or call 603-226-2170.
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