The Indiana 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 and Rural Affairs
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 11/17/2023
State: Indiana
County: Navajo County (AZ), Santa Cruz County (AZ), Yavapai County (AZ)
Details:
Planning grants are funded with Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The goal of the program is to encourage communities to plan for long-term holistic community development.
Program Components
To be competitive, projects must demonstrate:
- They meet a goal of the Federal Act (Section 105 (a) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974)
- The particular planning project addresses established long-term community priorities;
- The funds granted will have a significant impact on the overall project;
- The community has demonstrated a strong commitment to the project and its sustainability; and
- The project is ready to proceed upon grant award and will be completed within 12 months.
Funding Information
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, and
- $90,000 for a master utility study (water, wastewater, and stormwater).
- Note: All utilities controlled 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.
- Broadband Readiness plans are limited to $50,000 for a single community; $70,000 for a region.
- Public Facilities Feasibility studies are limited to $20,000.
- Economic Development plans are limited to $40,000
- Environmental Assessments are limited to $20,000
- Historic Preservation plans are limited to $20,000
- 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
Eligible Planning Activities
The following plan types will be open as part of the fourth quarter round:
- COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan
- Comprehensive Plan
- Water Infrastructure Plan
- Broadband Readiness Plan
- Economic Development Plan
- Environmental Assessment
- Public Facilities Feasibility Study
- Historic Preservation Plan
- Downtown Revitalization Plan
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).
For more information, visit OCRA.
