Community Development Block Grant-Planning Grant 2023 (Indiana)

The Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) seeks applications from eligible local units of government that would like to be considered for Planning Grants funded through the state Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

Donor Name: Indiana Office of Community & Rural Affairs

State: Indiana

County: All Counties

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 08/18/2023

Size of the Grant: $90,000

Grant Duration: 12 months

Details:

The goal of the program is to encourage communities to plan for long-term community development. Communities interested in planning for projects relating to such issues as infrastructure, downtown revitalization, and community facilities are encouraged to apply.

The following maximum grant awards have been established by OCRA for Planning Grant recipients:

• Water Utilities Infrastructure Studies are limited as follows:
  • $60,000 for a study on two utilities (water, wastewater, or stormwater), and
  • $90,000 for a Master Utility Study (water, wastewater, and stormwater).

Note: All utilities controlled by or of interest to by the community must be covered by the study.

• Comprehensive Plans are limited as follows:
  • Populations over 10,000 are limited to $60,000, and
  • Populations under 10,000 are limited to $50,000
• Economic Recovery Plans are limited to $50,000
• Economic Development Plans are limited to $40,000
• Broadband Readiness Plans are limited to $50,000 for single community; $70,000 for a region.
  • Downtown Revitalization Plans are limited as follows:
    • Populations over 2,000 are limited to $40,000, and
    • Populations under 2,000 are limited to $30,000
• Historic Preservation Plans are limited to $20,000
• Environmental Assessments are limited to $20,000
• Public Facilities Feasibility Study are limited to $20,000

Eligible Activities

The following list identifies the general types of eligible activities for the planning grant program. Eligible planning activities consist of all costs associated with data gathering, study, analysis, and preparation of plans and the identification of actions to implement such plans, including:

Community development, redevelopment and functional plans in areas such as:

• Comprehensive Plans
• Broadband Readiness Plans
• Economic Recovery Plans
• Water Infrastructure Plans
• Environmental Assessments
• Economic Development Plans
• Public Facilities Feasibility Studies
• Historic Preservation Plans
• Downtown Revitalization Plans

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for Planning Grant assistance, projects must meet the following minimum requirements:

• The lead applicant must be a non-entitlement city, county or incorporated town that possesses the legal capacity to carry out the proposed program.
• The proposed project must meet a national objective and be an eligible activity under Section 105 (a) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974. In general, the project must either:
  • benefit an area or clientele whose population is at least 51% low- and moderate-income; or
  • aid in prevention or elimination of slums or blight.
• If the applicant has previously received any CDBG funds through the Office of Community and Rural Affairs or the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) the applicant must NOT have:
  • any unresolved monitoring/audit findings;
  • any overdue grant reports or closeout documents;
  • for cities and towns: two (2) open CDBG grants at the time of application;
  • for counties: three (3) open CDBG grants at the time of application;
  • an open CDBG grant that has not received Release of Funds
    • If a community has an open CDBG grant, the community must have an executed construction contract and be under construction, or a consultant under contract for planning grants before the community may apply for an additional CDBG grant. Grant Services must have received the Notice of Start of Construction to be considered “under construction” by the date the application is due.
• Any CDBG Program Income collected from a previous CDBG grant must be obligated for a use that has been approved by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs before another CDBG grant will be approved.
• The cost per beneficiary ratio for the proposed project cannot exceed $5,000 (grant funds only).
• Local match must be provided by the applicant or third-party. Other state, federal or local grants can count toward the local match requirement. Any available Program Income may be used as part of the local match for a CDBG project with prior written authorization from the Indiana Office of Community. The local match must be in the minimum amount of 10% of the total project cost, not the grant amount being requested.

For more information, visit IOCRA.