Last Updated on June 25, 2023 by Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs
INDIANAPOLIS – Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced six Indiana communities will receive $312,640 in Planning Grants through the Community Development Block Grant program. The communities will use the funds to develop plans for the implementation of community and economic development projects.
“Developing our communities immediately correlates with economic development across Indiana,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “I am pleased that we are able to invest in more Hoosier communities through these planning grants.”
The Planning Grant program strives to encourage communities to plan for long-term community development with the aid of subject matter experts and community input. The applications being funded this quarter address utilities, public facilities and comprehensive planning efforts.
“Planning with the help of experts and community input helps ensure success,” said Denny Spinner, executive director of OCRA. “Congratulations to the six towns awarded, they are a great example for Hoosier communities looking toward long-term community development planning.”
Water Infrastructure grants allow communities to complete a holistic study of potential issues and opportunities across their drinking, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. By completing this planning, communities will be able to make decisions regarding their most urgent water needs while understanding how each system works in context with other utility systems.
Water Infrastructure planning grants are awarded to three communities:
- The Town of Redkey is awarded $81,000;
- The Town of Galveston is awarded $58,320; and
- The Town of Windfall is awarded $58,320.
Comprehensive Planning grants are designed to aid communities in evaluating assets and identifying opportunities to address current needs in the following areas: land use, government capacity, public services, placemaking, economic development, housing, transportation, agriculture, natural resources, broadband access and historic resources.
Comprehensive Planning grants are awarded to two communities:
- The Town of Flora is awarded $50,000; and
- The Town of Hebron is awarded $45,000.
Public Facilities Feasibility Study grants are designed to aid communities in assessing public facilities’ existing conditions, needs, vision for future state and use of the facility to operationalize and implement options from the plan. Eligible facilities include fire stations, senior centers, libraries, childcare centers, community centers, facilities for special needs groups, youth centers, and museums and performance spaces that open doors to knowledge and ideas, culture and enjoyment.
One Public Facilities Feasibility Study grant is awarded to the Town of Liberty for $20,000.
Funding for OCRA’s CDBG programs originates from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant program and is administered for the State of Indiana by OCRA. For more information, visit in.gov/ocra/cdbg/.
SOURCE: News release from Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs