Lt. Gov. Crouch, OCRA Launch New HELP Program
August 10, 2021
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (Aug. 10, 2021) – Today, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced the new Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program at a news conference held at Ivy Tech Evansville.
“In my position as Secretary of Rural Development, I have seen many Indiana rural communities grow and develop with the help of OCRA’s programs,” Crouch said. “HELP is the newest way for the state to partner with our already vibrant and successful rural communities, and further build them so they become stronger and more resilient.”
HELP is designed for local units of government to optimize their Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, the $1.28 billion of federal funds delivered in 2021 and 2022 to Indiana communities from the American Rescue Plan Act.
“When I was mayor of my hometown of Huntingburg, I got to experience how OCRA and its partners can help transform a community,” said OCRA Executive Director Denny Spinner. “I am excited to now bring the spirit of Stellar into a new iteration that will support communities in best employing Fiscal Recovery Funds to create a legacy in these Hoosier towns and cities.”
Spinner said HELP melds the pillars of OCRA’s Stellar initiative into a program that will capitalize on the successes of previous efforts, while addressing the current environment of Hoosier communities. This new program supports communities directly by building capacity, creating a peer network system between communities participating in the program, developing a strategic investment plan and providing access to set-aside funding.
