Southern Indiana Business Report
INDIANAPOLIS — Daviess and Dubois counties are among the communities that will be taking part in the second round of the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs’ Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program beginning in 2023. Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch announced the nine communities and the timeline for the three participating cohorts on Nov. 23.
The year-long HELP initiative offers guidance for communities in spending allotments of Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds created under the American Rescue Plan Act. The HELP process will culminate in a community-focused strategic investment plan rooted in the pathways of advancing e-connectivity, promoting community wellness, enhancing quality of place, and strengthening local economies.
“This new program presents a unique opportunity for communities,” Crouch said. “Those chosen to participate in HELP will learn how to best spend their recovery funds in order to create a lasting positive impact and legacy in their area.”
Kicking off the program in January 2022 will be the City of Auburn, Jay County and Kosciusko County. The second cohort, including Daviess and Dubois counties, plus the Citiy of Vincennes, will start in the summer of 2022. The third cohort will kick off the program near the start of 2023 and includes the City of Connersville, Franklin County, and Wayne County.
“HELP builds upon the successes of the Stellar program, while also adapting to best respond to the current challenges Indiana communities are facing,” said OCRA Executive Director Denny Spinner. “Those chosen for this program have exhibited a great dedication to community engagement and development and we look forward to working with each of them during this process.”
In early 2020, OCRA put the Stellar program on hold, shifting priorities to help communities address the immediate impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Over the past several months, OCRA has reimagined Stellar as a program to capitalize on the successes of previous efforts while addressing the current environment of Hoosier communities. This new program supports communities directly by building capacity, creating a peer network system between communities participating in the program, developing a strategic investment plan and providing access to set-aside funding.
As part of the effort, participating communities are required to contribute a match of at least $20,000 to fill a community coordinator position and to pledge a minimum of 30% of their Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds allocation to projects in the strategic investment plan. OCRA will match the community investment on a one-to-one basis for the implementation of projects, up to $1 million.
Throughout the program, the chosen communities will collaborate with the Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement, the Purdue University Center for Regional Development, the Ball State Indiana Communities Institute, and Ivy Tech Community College. These higher education organizations will help provide training and technical assistance during the program.
In addition to the higher education organizations these communities will partner with, they will also work with the Indiana Arts Council, the Indiana Department of Transportation, the Indiana Department of Health, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, Columbus-based CivicLab, and NEXT Studios.
“We are fortunate to have the expertise of these community institutions and state organizations for this program,” said Andrea Kern, OCRA director of strategic initiatives. “With their guidance, we will be able to propel this program to new heights for our Hoosier communities.”