The Polis Center is using SAVI to help the City of Indianapolis’ Lift Indy program. Lift Indy is a comprehensive community development program that promotes equitable neighborhood revitalization through affordable housing, economic development, and placemaking.

As the COVID-19 crisis continues to unfold, Mayor Joe Hogsett, City staff, and partners have been exploring how the community development system can shift existing tools and resources to confront the effects of the crisis. To help address the long-term needs of neighborhoods, the Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD) is opening  the 2021 Lift Indy round to an additional designee.

Like the traditional Lift Indy model, this designee will receive a three-year commitment of HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) & Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars, but this year’s application process will be focused on investing in neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

The Polis Center at IUPUI assisted DMD by providing available data and potential factors to measure the impact of COVID-19 on communities throughout Indianapolis, including unemployment claims and COVID-19 cases by ZIP code.

To be eligible for the Lift Indy 2021 round, projects must be located within the Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area (NRSA) and focus investment within a specific geography.

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