Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs

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Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs

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Official page for the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA).

The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs works with local, state and national partners to provide resources and technical assistance to aid communities in shaping and achieving their vision for community and economic development. For a full list of all of the programs administered by OCRA, please visit www.in.gov/ocra

29/10/2026

Last month, OCRA staff attended the Indiana Housing Conference, hosted by the Indiana Affordable Housing Council, to learn, network and inform others about the future of affordable housing in the state. Several OCRA staff members presented on how Community Development Block Grant funds can support affordable housing in rural communities. OCRA presenters included CDBG Director Steve St. John, CDBG Senior Program Manager Tanaha Peton and Northeast Community Liaison/Engagement & Training Coordinator Lindsey Hammond.

Learn more about CDBG at ocra.in.gov/cdbg.

28/10/2026

Main Street community reporting stats from the third quarter of 2026 are in! Main Street communities saw impressive growth, investment and attendance at events.

Learn more about the Indiana Main Street program here: ocra.in.gov/mainstreet.

21/10/2026

Executive Director Fred Glynn was in northwest Indiana this week checking out the results of previous OCRA projects in Valparaiso and Bremen.

OCRA awarded $500,000 to the city of Valparaiso under the CDBG Blight Clearance Program in order to clear a vacant building which posed safety concerns directly adjacent to the Porter County Public Library. Upon clearing, the Library, and other local stakeholders transformed the space into an outdoor learning library and garden, where schools, organizations and local government use the space to better serve the community.

As part of OCRA’s Stellar initiative, the Town of Bremen earned funding for the redevelopment of Jackson Street, which included reconfiguring the street, curbs and parking spots, the addition of a Farmer's Market pavilion, lawn space, performance stage, seating, fire pit and landscaping This project benefits residents in Bremen by improving the overall aesthetics, economic development and quality of life initiatives.

19/10/2026

Plan on applying for the Stellar Pathways program? Join us for one of two scheduled workshops to learn more about the Stellar Pathways program and how to set your community up for success. Those looking to apply for the Stellar Pathways program must attend one of the workshops in order to submit a letter of intent. Spots are limited so register now!

To register, click the link or scan the QR code: bit.ly/2026-StellarWorkshop

14/10/2026

OCRA Executive Director Fred Glynn has been traveling throughout central Indiana lately, visiting with local Main Street organizations and checking out some vibrant downtowns.

Last week, Fred met with Heart of Rushville President Joe Rathz and Brian Sheehan, Business Development Manager at HWC. He also met with Discover Downtown Franklin Executive Director Danny Causey, Assistant Director Jennifer Weltich and Admin/Operations Assistant Olivia Alvey. Additionally, Fred was in Shelbyville, meeting with Mainstreet Shelbyville Inc. Executive Director Brandy Coomes.

This week, Fred traveled to Tipton to meet with Tipton Main Street Association President Rob Cochrane and check out the developments at the Diana Theatre, located right beside the Town Square. He was also in Lebanon, meeting with Missy Krulik, the Executive Director of The Heart of Lebanon.

07/10/2026

OCRA recently held five Community Engagement Summits across the state, highlighting local success stories and opportunities for collaboration for both community members and leaders. At each summit, OCRA staff gave updates on programs, specifically the Owner Occupied Rehabilitation Program and the Recovery Housing Program, and featured guest speakers on placemaking, data centers and creating a unified force to advance local economic development.

We would like to extend our appreciation to the speakers and guests who served on our local leaders panels, as well as to the attendees, who were engaged and offered great feedback.

02/10/2026

More highlights from the final two days of the Preserving Historic Places Conference, Indiana's statewide preservation conference, held in Franklin this year. It was great to see all the Indiana Main Street communities in attendance networking and learning more about the importance of preserving our Hoosier communities!

01/10/2026

Our Main Street team is in Franklin this week for the Preserving Historic Places Conference. So far, Tereasa Camin led a training for Main Street executive directors, board and committee members, and our partners at Main Street America held an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Workshop. Additionally, Glenn Faris and Northwest Community Liaison Gerry White presented "Do No Harm: Crafting a Preservation Program for Beginners" at the historic Garment Factory.

If you're at the conference, find them and say hello!

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Opening Hours

Monday	08:30 - 17:00
Tuesday	08:30 - 17:00
Wednesday	08:30 - 17:00
Thursday	08:30 - 17:00
Friday	08:30 - 17:00

Website

https://linktr.ee/indianaocra

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