INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 10, 2026) – The Office of Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs today announced five communities will receive more than $800,000 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.

"Programs like the Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Grant make a real difference in the everyday lives of Hoosiers,” Lieutenant Governor Beckwith said. “By awarding these funds to well-deserving communities, we are strengthening Indiana, one home at a time."

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 Bluffton is awarded $350,000
• The Town of Fowler is awarded $350,000

"Congratulations to these five communities on receiving this important grant funding," OCRA Executive Director Fred Glynn said. “The Owner Occupied Rehabilitation program gives leaders a direct route to help residents in need fix their homes. Additionally, Planning Grants allow cities, towns and counties to plan for their futures and understand what their needs are, whether it's for comprehensive plans or utility studies."

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. 

A Comprehensive Planning Grant of $60,000 is awarded to Jay County.

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.

Utility Study Planning Grants are awarded to:

• The Town of Kirklin is awarded $27,000 for a single-utility study
• The City of Shelbyville is awarded $60,000 for a dual-utility study

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.