Greensburg, IN—Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced that 13 rural Hoosier communities will receive more than $1.96 million in federal grant funding, through the new COVID-19 Response Program. “After setting up weekly calls with our local elected officials and Main Street organizations, I was able to hear how quickly we needed to provide funding to assist with rising medical needs and to save jobs and small businesses,” said Crouch. “Our rural communities are truly the next economic frontier and we have to do all we can to ensure they survive this crisis.”
In March, Governor Eric Holcomb issued the executive order that allowed OCRA to redirect Community Development Block Grant funds to assist with COVID-19 needs, based on guidance from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
On April 1, the COVID-19 Response Program launched and, over the course of two weeks, received 108 Letters of Need, totaling an estimated $23 million in requests. Eligible activities for this program include but are not limited to:
- Expanding or altering existing medical facilities to help in the increasing patient load due to COVID-19;
- Provide fixed or mobile testing;
- Expand food pantry services to low-to-moderate (LMI) populations; and
- Provide grants or loans to small businesses to help retain LMI jobs.
The City of Greensburg was awarded $250,000 to provide loans to local small business owners who are low-to-moderate-income or to retain low-to-moderate-income jobs. The funds will be processed through the Greensburg Decatur County Economic Development Corporation revolving loan program.
