The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs’ Community Development Block Grant Owner Occupied Rehabilitation program and Planning Grant program are now open for applications.
Fourth quarter applications for both grant programs will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. ET, on Friday, Nov. 14, via the Indiana electronic Grants Management System, found here. Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications prior to 4 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 14, as technical assistance will not be available after that time.
Owner Occupied Rehabilitation program
The OOR program aims to help low-income homeowners to age in place, have greater mobility and make necessary repairs for their comfort and safety. Additionally, the OOR program supports communities in improving their existing housing stock and empowers them to establish local home repair programs.
Eligible OOR Applicants are legally recognized non-entitlement local units of governmentwith the legal capacity to implement the OOR program. Applicants may partner with a non-profit to conduct eligible project activities.
Awarded communities will administer programs that directly fund repairs on owner-occupied residential properties, such as:
- Roof replacements or repairs
- Heating, cooling and water heater replacement
- Select lighting and electrical upgrades
- ADA accessibility modifications up to the threshold of the home
Applicants are required to use the Homeowner Application Packet provided by OCRA for the implementation of local home repair programs. Submissions that contain forms from any other agency will not be accepted. The forms are available on the CDBG Resources page.
Applicants interested in submitting an application for the fourth quarter OOR round must notify OCRA of their intent to apply. This notification should be sent to the respective OCRA community liaison and cdbg@ocra.in.gov no later than Friday, Oct. 31.
Planning Grants
The following plan types will be open as part of the fourth quarter round:
- Comprehensive Plan
- Water Utility Study
- Broadband Readiness Plan
- Economic Development Plan
- Downtown Revitalization Plan
- Environmental Assessment Plan
- Historic Preservation Plan
- COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan
- Public Facilities Feasibility Study
While a formal site visit is not required for the Planning Grant program, applicants must contact their OCRA Community Liaison to 1) notify the Office of their intention to submit an application and 2) to receive technical assistance on the planning process. A map of community liaison districts can be found here.
Important Notes:
- All income survey documentation should be submitted for final approval in eGMS by Oct. 31 to ensure OCRA has 10 days to complete a review. Final income survey results must be approved by OCRA in eGMS ahead of the application due date on Nov. 14.
- As a reminder, the Qualifications Based Selection Planning Grant Procurement Policy went into effect Aug. 15, 2022. In accordance with the policy, procurement of professional services for the planning study must be completed prior to submitting the planning grant application in eGMS for the fourth quarter of 2025.
The next round of planning grants is expected to continue quarterly until funds have been exhausted.
Funding for all CDBG programs, such as OOR and Planning Grants, comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and is administered by OCRA. For further information on these programs, contact the assigned regional OCRA community liaison.
