Lt. Governor Beckwith, OCRA announce 11 communities to receive more than $2.6 million in federal funding

INDIANAPOLIS (Dec. 18, 2025) - The Office of Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs today announced 11 Indiana communities will receive $2,680,000 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.

"Strong homes turn into strong communities, and they aren't built overnight," Lieutenant Governor Beckwith said. "They're built through investing in people, infrastructure, and long-term planning that actually improves daily life for Hoosiers."

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 Town of Hope is awarded $350,000
• Brown County is awarded $500,000
• Jennings County is awarded $500,000
• Lawrence County is awarded $500,000
• Orange County is awarded $500,000

"I look forward to seeing these communities implement their owner-occupied rehabilitation programs, which will provide a far-reaching improvement to the residents' quality of life," OCRA Executive Director Fred Glynn said. "Congratulations to each of them and to the communities who earned planning grants, an important first step towards long-term change."

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 efforts.

Downtown Revitalization Planning Grants aim to provide a comprehensive strategy for revitalizing the downtown area in rural communities by addressing demographic, economic and social aspects, as well as physical and cultural conditions. The plan serves as a roadmap for leveraging current assets, securing funding sources, and building community engagement to revitalize the downtown business district area and promote economic growth.

Downtown Revitalization Planning Grants are awarded to two communities:

• The Town of Francesville is awarded $30,000
• The City of Rushville is awarded $40,000

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.

Utility Study Planning Grants are awarded to the following communities:

• The Town of Eaton is awarded $60,000
• The Town of Parker City is awarded $90,000
• The Town of Rossville is awarded $90,000

Feasibility Study Grants aid communities in assessing public facilities' existing conditions, needs, vision for future state and use of the facility to operationalize and implement options for the plan. Eligible facilities include fire stations, senior centers, libraries, childcare centers, community centers, facilities for special needs groups, youth centers, museums and performance spaces that open doors to knowledge, ideas, culture and community quality of life.

A Feasibility Study Grant of $20,000 is awarded to the Town of Medaryville.

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.