The City of Evansville has been awarded $1,680,000 from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) as part of the statewide Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program. The amount represents Evansville’s full request for funding.

A public hearing will be scheduled in the near future to communicate with city residents the full scope of the program. The city’s Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD), the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Building Commission and Evansville Brownfield Corporation worked several months identifying properties in the city that met the lengthy criteria for inclusion in the program, and delivered the completed grant proposal to IHCDA in June.

“Today’s award is tremendous news regarding the elimination of blight in our city, which will result in the removal of more than 80 abandoned structures,” said Mayor Lloyd Winnecke. “These funds coupled with ongoing efforts by the city are major steps to remove blighted homes and improve the infrastructure and appearance of our city.”

The goal of the program is to stabilize neighborhoods and existing homeowner property values while increasing neighborhood safety by eliminating dangerous, blighted vacant structures.

Questions about Evansville’s Hardest Hit Fund should be directed to Vanderburgh County Building Commissioner Ben Miller at 812-436-7868, or DMD Interim Director Kelley Coures at 812-436-7823. Questions involving the statewide program should be directed to Rayanna Binder, Indiana Director of the Blight Elimination Program of IHCDA, at (317)-372-7885.

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