Five Hoosier communities chosen for Hometown Collaborative Initiative

The HCI program is open to self-identified communities of 25,000 or fewer.

Angola Downtown Services Coordinator Maria Davis put together the presentation for Angola.

“Angola’s HCI team is excited about being chosen as part of this next generation of communities and look forward to seeing where the process will take us,” Davis said.

Each community listed was a semi-finalist and hosted members of the state team in April. The teams from each community held 90-minute sessions highlighting how it could contribute to long-term success of local community and economic development initiatives.

Once the communities complete the foundation phase of the program, which has each doing an in-depth analysis, teams will choose a HCI building block of economy, leadership or place making to execute.

“The HCI process will be what determines which of the three areas of concentration our community will choose. Data gathering and public participation are part of that process. We are waiting to hear what our next steps should be from our HCI coaches,” Davis said.

Angola and the other Generation 5 communities join other communities in Indiana that have participated in the program including the following; Generation 4 communities Bremen and Crawford County, Generation 3 communities Decatur and Logansport, Generation 2 communities of Auburn, Orange County, Spencer County and Vermillion County and Generation 1 communities Corydon, Lebanon, Seymour, Perry County, Pulaski County and Rush County.