COVID-19 Response Program & CARES Act Grant

The CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act), authorized March 27, 2020, is a $2.2 trillion rescue package to reduce the impact of economic downturn from the coronavirus pandemic.

The CARES Act made $5 billion in Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus response funds (CDBG-CV) available to grantees. The Department of Housing and Urban Development allocated CDBG-CV funds to the State of Indiana CDBG program to fund community activities that prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic. Indiana received $51 million in CDBG-CV funds.

On March 19, 2020, Gov. Eric Holcomb took action to support Hoosiers during the COVID-19 outbreak with Executive Order 20-05. This order directed state agencies on providing support and protection to Hoosiers across the State. The Office of Community and Rural Affairs was instructed to redirect CDBG funds to assist with COVID-19 needs based on guidance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Indiana CDBG-CV grants aimed to enhance quality of life for low and moderate-income residents, particularly in rural Indiana, by funding activities that prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

OCRA launched the COVID-19 Response Program in April 2020. The COVID-19 Response Program awarded 191 grants to 142 communities, providing public service and economic activity funding over the course of three program phases. Additional CDBG-CV funding was set aside as a match for the nine communities participating in the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program(HELP). These matching funds were used to support long-term pandemic recovery and ensure Indiana’s rural communities are resilient in the face of economic downturns or unprecedented health emergencies. Overall OCRA awarded more than $38 million in funding, providing relief to more than 600,000 Hoosiers.

For questions on CDBG-CV, please contact Pamela Guerrero at pguerrero@ocra.in.gov.

Click here to view the list of Phase 3 Supplemental Funding grantees.

Program Reporting Guidance

COVID-19 Response Program projects focused on job retention activities (i.e., grants and loans to small businesses), are required to report annually for two years (grants) or in perpetuity (for non-forgivable loans.)

The reporting for COVID-19 Phase 3 Supplemental Funding recipients is due on July 31. This will be the last reporting required for COVID-19 Phase 3 Supplemental funding recipients.

Any COVID-19 Phase 1,2 or 3 that issued non-forgivable loans are required to report each year until all funds are forgiven.