Town of Kittery Offering Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Grant Program

The Town of Kittery is a beautiful, vibrant, and desirable place to live. As a result, housing is becoming less affordable for families and workers.  To continue our efforts to increase availability of affordable residential units in the community, the Town of Kittery is offering the Accessory Dwelling Unit Grant Program, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Town's affordable housing in-lieu fees.

With the ADU Grant Program, eligible applicants can receive up to $75,000 for design, permitting and construction to build an ADU. 

What is an ADU?

An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is a secondary housing unit on a single-family residential lot. An ADU can be attached to the primary house like a converted garage, or unattached like a freestanding cottage.

What are the benefits of an ADU?

• Earn Additional Income: An ADU is a great way to earn supplemental income from your property.  ADU rentals can bring in a regular stream of revenue to help cover mortgage costs or bolster savings.
• Affordable Housing: Finding affordable housing is one of the greatest challenges facing our area.  Because they are smaller, and share a property with another residence, an ADU can be a more affordable housing option.

Property owner(s) must meet income eligibility requirements to participate in the ADU Grant Program.  The new ADU unit must meet all Town of Kittery code and zoning requirements and be completed within two (2) years of the grant award. 

To download the application and full list of the grant program rules, please click here.

A pre-application meeting with the Planning Department Staff is required prior to submitting an application.  To schedule a pre-application meeting, please contact Town Planner, Maxim Zakian via email at mzakian@kitteryme.org, phone at 207-475-1323 or in-person at the Town Hall Code & Planning Office during regular business hours:

• Monday through Wednesday from 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
• Thursday from 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM

The deadline to apply for the ADU Grant Program is May 1, 2024.