Bartholomew County is applying for a $500,000 grant through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) to bring back its local home repair program! Bartholomew County is also contributing $60,000 in local match toward the success of this program.

This pre-application form is the first step for homeowners who may be interested in participating if funding is awarded. Once a funding decision is made by OCRA, completed pre-applications will be reviewed and scored using program guidelines to determine eligibility and participant selection. To learn more about the Bartholomew County Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation (OOR) Program, please review the FAQ document available at this LINK. Paper copies of this form information are also available at Bartholomew County Commissioners Office, 440 Third Street Columbus, Indiana 47201 during regular business hours.

Preliminary applications are due by Wednesday, September 30, 2026. If you are interested in participating, don’t wait to sign up!

IMPORTANT NOTE ON PROGRAM TIMING: An award announcement from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) is expected in December 2026. The first group of properties will be selected for participation in January 2027. Repairs are estimated to start in June 2027. We will have no information about this program until after awards are announced by OCRA.

All questions on this form require a response. When you have finished, please click DONE to ensure your responses are properly saved and submitted.

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1. Please provide us with your contact information. (Required.)

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2. Do you live within the program area? To be eligible for the Bartholomew County OOR Program, you must be a county resident living outside the incorporated limits of Columbus or Hope, as both communities offer their own similar programs. (Required.)

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3. Do you own your home? (Required.)

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4. Is your home on a permanent foundation? (Required.)

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5. Do you have an active mortgage? (Required.)

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6. Do you have homeowners' insurance? (Required.)

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7. Are your property taxes paid/up to date? (Required.)

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8. How many household members live in your home? (Required.)

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9. What is your family's total annual income before taxes? For program calculation purposes, household income and family income are treated the same — anyone living in the home who has income has that income counted toward the total, except for VA service-connected disability payments, which are excluded. (Required.)

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10. What is your family's primary source(s) of income? Please check all that apply. (Required.)

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11. What year was your home built?

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12. Which type of repair assistance are you requesting? Please check all that apply. (Required.)

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13. In the past 3-5 years, have you received any quotes or estimates for the types of repairs you selected? (Required.)

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14. In the past 3-5 years, have you experienced any of the following issues at home? (Required.)

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15. In the past 3-5 years, how often have these issues affected your household? Please select one. (Required.)

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16. Have any of these issues created health or safety concerns for your household? Please check all that apply. (Required.)

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17. Does your current financial status impact your ability to make these home repairs? (Required.)

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18. Enter any comments you have about the urgency of your repair request. (Required.)

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19. Does anyone in your household belong to the following groups? (Required.)

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20. What is your race/ethnicity?

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