(Indianapolis, IN) – Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs have announced a local community and two others around the state will receive $210,000 in planning grants through the Community Development Block Grant program.
Funds will be used to develop plans for the implementation of long-term community and economic development projects as well as utility improvement projects.
Locally, the Town of Versailles was awarded a $90,000 Water Infrastructure Planning Grant.
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.
The Town of Mooreland received a $90,000 Water Infrastructure Planning Grant.
“The best way to improve Indiana as a whole is by investing in and improving our local communities,” said Lt. Gov. Crouch, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “I am thrilled for these three communities and the improvements they will be able to explore through this funding.”
The Planning Grant program encourages communities to plan for long-term community development with the aid of subject matter experts and community input. The applications being funded this quarter address water utilities and comprehensive planning efforts.
“Long-term development in our Hoosier communities is important for the future success of our state,” said OCRA Executive Director Duke Bennett. “Planning Grants give our communities the opportunity to lay a solid foundation and set goals that improve the quality of life for their residents. Congratulations to the three communities receiving this funding, I look forward to seeing your developments come to fruition.”
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, broadband access and historic resources.
A $60,000 Comprehensive Planning Grant was awarded to Grant County.
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.
Visit in.gov/ocra/cdbg/ for more information.
