INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 8, 2022) – Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs today announced four Hoosier communities were awarded $290,000 in Planning Grants through the Community Development Block Grant program. The communities will use the funds to develop plans to implement community and economic development projects. 

“With aging infrastructures across the United States, water quality is a common issue in many communities ” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch. “So these planning grants are a great resource for rural communities. With these grants, communities can make necessary investments to better the lives of their residents.”

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 funded this quarter will aim to address water infrastructure and public facilities feasibility. 

“Each of these four communities is helping to set their city or town up for success by creating and investing in a strategic plan,” said OCRA Executive Director Denny Spinner. “I look forward to seeing these projects continue through the process and the positive impact on each community."

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 grants are awarded to three communities:

• Town of Hagerstown is awarded $90,000
• City of Knox is awarded $90,000
• Town of Dugger is awarded $90,000

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, child care 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 Mooreland for $20,000.

The State of Indiana distributes the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant funds to rural communities to assist units of local government with various community projects. Planning Grants are one type of grant offered through OCRA’s CDBG program. 

Planning Grant applications are accepted on a quarterly basis. For more information on the Community Development Block Grant program, visit in.gov/ocra/cdbg.

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Under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch, who also serves as the Secretary of 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.