North Manchester Among Recipients Of COVID-19 Response Program Funding
North Manchester Among Recipients Of COVID-19 Response Program Funding
Posted
Staff Report-
North Manchester Among Recipients Of COVID-19 Response Program FundingINDIANAPOLIS – On Wednesday, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) announced that 13 rural Hoosier communities will receive more than $1.96 million in federal grant funding through the new COVID-19 Response Program.
"After setting up weekly calls with our local elected officials and Main Street organizations, I was able to hear how quickly we needed to provide funding to assist with rising medical needs and to save jobs and small businesses,” said Crouch. "Our rural communities are truly the next economic frontier and we have to do all we can to ensure they survive this crisis.”
In March, Gov. Eric Holcomb issued Executive Order 20-05 that allowed OCRA to redirect Community Development Block Grant funds to assist with COVID-19 needs, based on guidance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
On April 1, the COVID-19 Response Program launched and, over the course of two weeks, received 108 letters of need, totaling an estimated $23 million in requests. Eligible activities for this program include but are not limited to:
• Expanding or altering existing medical facilities to help in the increase patient load due to COVID-19.
• Provide fixed or mobile testing.
• Expand food pantry services to low-to-moderate populations.
• Provide grants or loans to small businesses to help retain LMI jobs.
“Our rural communities are feeling the effects of COVID-19 and need immediate support to ensure that critical services and supplies, as well as economic recovery resources are available," said Jodi Golden, executive director of OCRA. “These are the first of many projects we hope to fund through this new program.”
Locally, the town of North Manchester was awarded $250,000 to build upon an existing Revolving Loan Fund to provide grants to local businesses with employees who have low- and-moderate income households impacted by the current COVID-19 crisis.
Noble County was awarded $95,250 to fund a micro-grant program that will target at-risk small county businesses in partnership with the Noble County Economic Development Corporation.
Fulton County was awarded $250,000 to provide grants to small businesses in order to retain employees.
More projects will be announced as they continue to be evaluated and reviewed by OCRA. For further information on the program, visit www.in.gov/ocra/3010.htm.
