Ellspermann Announces Blight Elimination Grants
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowLieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann has announced 23 Indiana communities will receive a total of $12 million to combat abandoned properties. All 92 Indiana counties are eligible to apply for funding from the Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program. October 23, 2014
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann today announced two rounds of awards from Indiana’s Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program (BEP). The 23 successful Indiana applicants from Divisions Five and Six received a combined total of nearly $12 million to help prevent avoidable foreclosures by eliminating blighted and abandoned homes in those communities through the BEP.
The 18 successful Division Five applicants receiving awards totaling $8.2 million include:
Cass County:
-The City of Logansport – $925,000
-The Town of Walton – $25,000
Clay County:
-The City of Brazil – $215,000
Daviess County:
-The City of Washington – $459,000
DeKalb County:
-The City of Auburn – $100,000
-The City of Garrett – $75,000
-The Town of Waterloo – $236,000
Henry County:
-The City of New Castle – $700,000
Jackson County:
-The City of Seymour – $72,000
Knox County:
-The City of Bicknell – $415,000
-The City of Vincennes – $390,000
Miami County:
-The City of Peru – $813,000
Shelby County:
-The City of Shelbyville – $304,000
Greene County – $945,000
Gibson County – $1,440,000
Posey County – $617,000
Noble County/The City of Kendallville – $487,000
The 11 successful Division Six applicants receiving awards totaling $3.7 million include:
Blackford County:
-City of Dunkirk (Jay/Blackford) – $176,000
-City of Hartford City – $507,000
-City of Montpelier – $61,000
Carroll County:
-City of Delphi – $68,000
Fayette County:
-City of Connersville – $125,000
Ohio County:
-City of Rising Sun – $161,000
Rush County:
-City of Rushville – $230,000
Spencer County:
-Town of Richland City – $144,000
Starke County:
-City of Knox – $187,000
Pulaski County – $147,000
Sullivan County – $1,914,000
“The cities and towns receiving nearly $12 million in BEP funds for Divisions Five and Six will be able to demolish over 550 blighted properties, which will stabilize property values and help prevent foreclosures for neighboring homeowners,” said Lt. Governor Ellspermann. “The recipients, with the help of their program partners, will be able to provide much needed revitalization in their communities.”
These local governments and their non-profit partners are the successful applicants in the fifth and sixth rounds of the BEP. The BEP provides an opportunity for local units of government in all 92 Indiana counties to compete for a total of $75 million available for blight elimination funding to prevent avoidable foreclosures through the removal of blighted, vacant and abandoned homes.
“Cities across Indiana have been struggling with the damaging effects caused by vacant and blighted properties and will soon see the benefits of these federal funds,” said Sarah Bloom Raskin, Treasury Deputy Secretary. “Removing blighted properties is important in the fight to reduce foreclosures and we look forward to continuing our partnership with the State of Indiana to help stabilize hardest hit communities.”
The BEP funds are drawn from the $221.7 million in Hardest Hit Funds allocated to Indiana. In February 2014, the U.S. Department of the Treasury approved the use of $75 million of Indiana’s Hardest Hit Funds by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) for successful BEP applicants. The partnership between IHCDA and Treasury allows for funding to eliminate blighted properties and offers a variety of end uses for the newly cleared parcels, such as green space or redevelopment.
“We’re excited about with the neighborhood-enhancing projects scheduled to take place around the state,” said Mark Neyland, IHCDA Director of Asset Preservation, who manages Indiana’s Hardest Hit Fund Program. “This program will assist scores of Indiana communities in their efforts to prevent avoidable foreclosures and keep property values stable for many years to come.”
The State of Indiana is divided into six funding divisions. The first round application deadlines have closed for all six divisions. Second rounds are currently open in Divisions Three through Six. Lt. Governor Ellspermann previously announced awards for successful applicants in Division One on May 22, 2014, Division Two applicants on June 26, Division Three applicants on July 24 and Division Four on August 28.
IHCDA estimates that approximately 4,000 blighted and/or abandoned homes in Indiana will be eliminated through the Blight Elimination Program. Visit www.877GetHope.org/blight to learn more.
Source: Office of Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann