Hometown Collaboration Initiative Adds New Cities

The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs has announced the addition of two cities to the Hometown Collaboration Initiative. The cities of Decatur and Logansport have joined the program, which helps communities develop a vision for growth.

When applying to take part in the HCI, communities had to gather teams of 20 citizen leaders to show why they believed the program could help. The teams then choose one of three building blocks of the HCI process: Economy, Leadership or Placemaking.

"I applaud of the leadership of Decatur and Logansport for taking this important step to strengthen, expand and improve the capacity of their communities in order to offer more jobs and a higher quality of life," said Lieutenant Governor Eric Holcomb. "The HCI process has already proven itself as a bedrock for communities, especially in rural Indiana, to continue to learn and grow for the betterment of their residents."

The HCI is done in partnership with the Indiana Communities Institute at Ball State University and the Center for Regional Development at Purdue University.

"HCI is an important program that builds human capacity in rural Indiana," said Bill Konyha, executive director of OCRA. "Communities completing the HCI process are much more likely to tear down silos stifling the collaborative process and emerge with a sandbox in which diverse community elements can effectively use their combined gifts, talents and skills to advance the community."

Decatur and Logansport join 10 other communities that have taken part in previous generations of the HCI. The most recent participants, announced in January, include Auburn, Orange County, Spencer County and Vermillion County.

You can learn more about the HCI program by clicking here.