Cass County community to receive grant to help with water issues

Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced eight Indiana communities will receive nearly $1 million in Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Grants and Planning Grants through the Community Development Block Grant program.

Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation grants will be used to empower these 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.

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.

An Owner Occupied Rehabilitation Grant is awarded to Rush County for $500,000. 

The Planning Grant program encourages communities to plan for sustainable community development with the aid of subject matter experts and community input. The applications being funded this quarter address comprehensive planning efforts, water utilities, downtown revitalization and broadband readiness.

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 of $50,000 each are awarded to the following communities:

The Town of St. Paul                                        The Town of Versailles

Utility Study Planning Grants provide a summary of potential issues and opportunities across 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.

Utility Study Planning Grants are awarded to the following communities:

The Town of Farmland is awarded $90,000                      The Town of Kentland is awarded $90,000

The Town of Walton is awarded $87,284                       The Town of Shelburn is awarded $90,000

Downtown Revitalization Planning Grants aim to provide a comprehensive strategy for revitalizing the downtown area in rural communities by addressing demographic, economic and social aspects, as well as physical and cultural conditions. The plan serves as a roadmap for leveraging current assets, securing funding sources, and building community engagement to revitalize the downtown business district area and promote economic growth.

A Downtown Revitalization Planning Grant of $40,000 is awarded to the Town of Fairmont.