Parke County commissioners approve applying for state home‑repair grant contingent on match

Parke County commissioners agreed to apply for a state grant that would fund home repairs for low‑income homeowners, contingent on third‑party matching funds.

The Montezuma Park Board representative told commissioners the Office of Rural and Community Affairs grant allows up to $25,000 per home for repairs such as roof replacement, HVAC, water heaters, electrical upgrades and limited ADA access work. She said the program is income‑based (not strictly age‑based) and can prioritize veterans or single‑parent households. “So we can apply for up to $500,000,” the representative said, adding the grant requires a 10% match and that the board was pursuing a Community Foundation commitment to cover part of that match.

Chair moved that Parke County serve as the applicant while making county participation contingent on a third‑party contribution for the 10% match; Commissioner 2 seconded the motion and the commission voted in favor. The motion makes county application and administrative participation dependent on non‑county funds being available to meet the match requirement.

Why it matters: The grant would allow repairs to aging housing stock that county staff and community organizations say limit residents’ ability to remain in place. The motion preserves the county’s fiscal exposure by making the county’s obligation conditional on outside funding. The Montezuma Park Board representative said Community Action would serve as subrecipient to review applications and manage contractor work if awarded.

Next steps: Staff will proceed with preparing the application for the July cycle and return to the commission if and when matching funds are confirmed.