INDIANAPOLIS (April 16, 2026) – The Office of Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs today announced five Indiana communities will receive $1,015,000 in Owner Occupied Rehabilitation Grants and Planning Grants through the Community Development Block Grant program. 

Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation grants are used to empower communities to directly fund homeowners of low-to-moderate income to make needed repairs on their homes. While communities awarded Planning Grants will use the funding to develop plans for long-term planning efforts.

"Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation and Planning Grants give communities the tools to shape their own future,” Lieutenant Governor Beckwith said. “Strengthening neighborhoods today through essential home repairs, while also building long-term strategies that guide sustainable growth, protect critical infrastructure and enhance quality of life for residents."

Communities awarded an Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation grant will establish a program to help fund low- and moderate-income homeowners make repairs on their homes. Eligible repairs include roof repair or replacement, ADA accessibility, heating and cooling replacement, lighting and electrical upgrades, and water heater replacement.

Owner Occupied Rehabilitation Grants are awarded to the following communities:

• The City of Madison is awarded $350,000
• Vermillion County is awarded $495,000

"Whether planning for infrastructure improvements and community needs or helping residents repair their homes to a livable state, these grant opportunities can have a lasting impact in a community," OCRA Executive Director Fred Glynn said. “I applaud these local leaders who took advantage of the programs and earned grant funding to improve the quality of life for their residents."

The Planning Grant program encourages communities to plan for sustainable community development with the aid of subject matter experts and community input. The applications being funded this quarter address comprehensive planning and utility study planning efforts.

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 and historic preservation. 

Comprehensive Planning Grants are awarded to two communities:

• The City of Frankfort is awarded $60,000
• The Town of Osgood is awarded $50,000

Utility Study Planning Grants provide a summary of potential issues and opportunities across 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.

A Utility Study Planning Grant of $60,000 is awarded to Franklin County.

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/.

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Under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith, who serves as Indiana's Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs’ (OCRA) mission is to work with local, state and national partners to provide resources and technical assistance to assist communities in shaping and achieving their vision for community and economic development. For more information, visit ocra.in.gov.