Southern Indiana Business Report
INDIANAPOLIS – The town of French Lick will receive $350,000 to assist qualifying homeowners with home repairs.
The office of Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced Tuesday that French Lick and four other Indiana communities will receive $1.3 million 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.
“These grants are more than just dollars – they build hope for future growth and prosperity,” Beckwith said in a news release. “By helping Hoosiers make essential repairs to their homes, we are strengthening communities and ensuring families can build better lives right where they are.”
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 were awarded to the following communities:
- The town of Brookville – $350,000
- The town of French Lick – $350,000
- Fayette County – $500,000
“The Owner Occupied Rehabilitation program gives communities a boost in supporting vulnerable homeowners with necessary quality-of-life improvements,” OCRA Executive Director Fred Glynn said.
Planning grants
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 resources.
Comprehensive Planning Grants were awarded to two communities:
- The town of Remington – $50,000
- The Decatur County – $60,000
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.