Community Economic Development

Community Economic Development

Lake County Community Economic Development Department provides both Community Development Projects and Economic Development Projects through a variety of programs.

Community Development consists of annual Housing and Urban Development Funds (HUD) from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and HOME Program.

CDBG Program Funds are further divided into specific projects.  

The following Cities and Towns annually share CDBG funds in Partnerships with LCCEDD for American with Disabilities Act (ADA) projects for sidewalks and curb crossings, park access and amenities, stormwater projects, and other qualifying projects: Cedar Lake, Crown Point, Dyer, Griffith, Highland, Hobart, Lake Station, Lowell, Merrillville, Munster, New Chicago, Schererville, Schneider, St. John, Whiting, and Winfield.  Hammond, Gary, and East Chicago also receive HUD funds as entitlement communities separate from Lake County.

CDBG funds are also used for Housing Rehabilitation and Emergency Grants for qualifying Lake County Residents per our Program Brochure.

Other annual Social Services funded with CDBG monies through the LCCEDD offices are:

• Lake County Community Services, Inc. for elderly Dial-A-Ride bus transit;
• Parents as Teachers of Hanover Township (PATH) through Mental Health America;
• Indiana Plan a Job Apprenticeship Program;
• Jude House a family violence prevention facility;
• Northwest Indiana Reinvestment Alliance for Fair Housing and Housing Task Force Programs;
• Homeless Prevention Program that provides rental and mortgage assistance.

HOME Program funds are used for two programs: Home Buyer Assistance and Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDO’s).  The Home Buyer Assistance Program also known as Down Payment Assistance is detailed in our Brochure.  The CHDO funds are used by Habitat for Humanity to provide low/moderate income housing projects in Lake County.

Economic Development programs and projects are provided through LCCEDD using to two Lake County Commissions.

The Lake County Economic Development Commission provides access to business capital through the Lake County Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) and a number of other business finance and business assistance programs. See the RLF Brochure. This can be direct assistance or indirect assistance via referral. Funding sources include; Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Loans, Industrial Development Revenue Bonds (IDBs), and loan participation with the Commercial Banking Community, See the Community Investment Fund of Indiana (CIFI) Brochure.

The Lake County Redevelopment Commission provides access to Small Business Grants with CIFI using CoVid19 Federal Funds and the LCRDC initiates Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts for a variety of economic development activities for business, industries and housing.

Examples Of Public/Private Partnerships with the LCEDC and LCRDC:

• Shopping center development - County, through its Redevelopment Commission, provided 9 million dollars and leveraged more than 150 million dollars of private investment. (TIF Bonds)
• Large steel processing facility - County provided gap financing to help create 100 new jobs. (RLF and Commercial Banks)
• Industrial expansion - a local manufacturer was able to expand with infrastructure assistance. (County and IDOC)
• Small Manufacture - a small manufacturer received assistance to install water and sewer lines. (CDBG)
• Small Manufacture—assistance to purchase machines to bend and weld stainless steel pipe for the auto and motorcycle industries
• Small Manufacture – assistance to purchase freezer space for the pork and chicken processing facility
• Seed money to develop the Digital Crossroads facility in Hammond, IN
• Numerous Loans and Grants through CIFI for restaurants, medical facilities, and clothing stores, and other retail establishments

Due to CoVid19 and federal programs such as the CARES Act and American Recovery Plan LCCEDD has been able to leverage over 20 million dollars into the following projects and programs:

• CDBG 16 Partnership Communities for PPE, Added Labor Costs, barrier construction and cleaning supplies
• Jude House for new furnaces w proper air filters
• NWI Food Bank for Senior Citizen Food Program
• PATH, Habitat for Humanity, InPact, Inc, and Indiana Plan for PPE, Added Labor Costs, Computers, rental and counselling services
• Emergency Rental Assistance Program (see brochures) in partnership with Geminus Corp of Merrillville for Rental and Utility Assistance
• CIFI with Small Business Grant Program

New Star Services, Inc. to provide the disability community in Lake County access to computers to assist them with classes, internet access, and social service programs.

Our Team

Timothy A. Brown

Director

(219) 755-3225