OCRA announced the third phase of the COVID-19 Response Program is now open for applications. For this round, eligible applicants include non-entitlement and entitlement local units of government.

The Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) seeks applications from eligible local units of government that would like to be considered for OCRA's COVID-19 Response program funded through the state Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

The eligible activities include: mental health services, childcare services, public Wi-Fi locations, food pantry or bank services, subsistence payment programs, or grants or loans to businesses to retain low-to-moderate (LMI) jobs. Phase 3 is a competitive process and communities that received an award in either previous phase may apply again.

The goal of the CDBG COVID-19 Response program through OCRA is to help communities, with eligible populations, respond to and mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Projects must demonstrate the following:

• They meet the goal of the Federal Act;
• The particular project is in response to or mitigates the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic;
• The funds granted will have a significant impact on residents;
• The community has demonstrated a strong commitment to the project and its sustainability; and
• The project is ready to proceed and be complete within 12 months upon grant award.

Funding Information

OCRA has established a maximum grant award of up to $250,000. If OCRA determines that a lesser amount is appropriate, it may be necessary to revise the project and budget before award.

Requirements

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

• The lead applicant must be a city, county, or incorporated town with the legal capacity to carry out the proposed program.
• The lead applicant may contract with a not-for-profit organization to carry out an eligible project's activities, provided that the organization can document its non-profit status with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, the Indiana Department of Revenue, and the Indiana Secretary of State.
• 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 be a benefit to a low- or moderate-income person or households, defined as:
  • Area Benefit – the proposed activity benefits all residents in a defined area in which at least 51% of the residents are LMI persons;
  • Limited Clientele – the proposed activity benefits a defined group of persons, and at least 51% of those persons are LMI persons; or
  • Job Retention – the proposed activity retains permanent jobs of which at least 51% are held or made available to LMI persons.
• If the lead applicant has previously received any CDBG funds through OCRA 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; or
  • a COVID-19 Response grant that has not received Release of Funds;
• Any Program Income collected from any previous CDBG grant must be obligated for use that has been approved by OCRA, before the submission of a new CDBG application. Program Income may be used as part of the local match for a CDBG application.  Please contact the CDBG program staff for additional information regarding Program Income.
• Local match, if included, must be provided by the applicant or a third-party.  Other local, state, or non-HUD federal grants can count towards local match. The local match is a percentage of the total project cost, not the grant amount being requested.
• Applicant or sub recipient must provide proof of the availability of those funds at the time of application.
• All requests to use in-kind match must be submitted two (2) weeks before the application deadline via email to CDBG program staff. Eligible sources of the in-kind match include but are not limited to:
  • The appraised fair market value of donated land. (Land donations by applicants, developers, organizations, or individuals with financial or ownership interest in the project are ineligible as an in-kind match);
  • Volunteer labor is calculated at $15.00 per hour regardless of the type of work; and
  • Donated goods or services valued at regular cost.

For more information, visit Office of Community and Rural Affairs.