Community Development Block Grants now open for applications

The Office of Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced the second round of Community Development Block Grants for 2025 is now open for applications.

The following programs are accepting applications.

    Blight Clearance

    Main Street Revitalization

    Public Facilities

    Stormwater Improvements

    Wastewater/Drinking Water

A series of updates have been made to the CDBG program that are in effect for Round 2 of 2025.

Program-specific alignment for Wastewater/Drinking Water grants: OCRA has adjusted the WDW program to reflect new benchmarks established by the Legislative Taskforce. These updates are designed to ensure compliance with revied user rate thresholds.

Public Facilities program expanded to include historic preservation: The scope of Public Facilities program will expand to include supporting rehabilitation and restoration of historical structures, preserving architectural heritage.

Promote effective building practices: Modifications to the Main Street Revitalization and Public Facilities programs will promote efficient construction and renovation practices, encouraging long-term cost savings for municipalities and residents.

Residential Blight Clearance initiative expanded: In response to evolving community needs, the Blight Clearance program now includes residential properties, enabling local governments to address substandard housing and promote safe and healthy communities.

Support for disaster-impacted communities: Additional bonus points will be awarded to non-entitlement communities recovering from natural disasters and facing heightened financial needs, improving their abilities to secure CDBG funding.

National Objectives guidelines: The criteria for assigning points to National Objectives remain unchanged, but now explicitly incorporate the guidelines into application materials to give applicants a clear understanding of the established practices.

Detailed information on 2025 Round 2 updates and additional resources are now available on the CDBG Resources Page and a pre-recorded webinar is available here.

Funding for all CDBG programs comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and is administered by OCRA. The State of Indiana distributes CDBG funds to rural communities to assist units of local government with various community projects like improving infrastructure, downtown revitalization, public facilities improvements and economic development.

Proposal submissions will be collected via the electronic Grants Management System. Instructions on how to submit proposals can be found at in.gov/ocra/cdbg/cdbg-construction-grants/.

2025 Round 2 proposals are due Friday, Oct. 24, by 11:59 p.m. ET via the eGMS. Communities are encouraged to submit their applications prior to 4 p.m. on Oct. 24, as technical assistance will not be available after that time. 

2025 Round 2 Applications are due on Friday, Dec. 19, by 11:59 p.m. ET also via eGMS. Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications prior to 4 p.m. on Dec. 19, as technical assistance will not be available after that time.

For further information on these programs, visit in.gov/ocra/cdbg or contact the assigned OCRA regional community liaison.