10 Indiana counties get nearly $8M to raze blighted homes

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana's latest wave of funding to demolish vacant and abandoned homes that are often magnets for crime is sending nearly $8 million to 14 communities.

The $7.7 million in awards announced Friday will go to 10 Indiana counties and boost to $75 million the funding the state has awarded statewide to raze blighted, vacant and abandoned homes.

The Scott County city of Austin is getting the largest single sum in new funding, $392,000. New Castle, the county seat of Henry County, will get the next-highest amount, $362,000.

Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann says it "will be an exciting process to watch the transformation of vacant properties" into assets that help their communities.

The eight other counties getting funding are: Fayette, Franklin, Henry, Jay, Ohio, Posey, Pulaski and Wabash.