Cumberland County commissioners on Oct. 23 held a public hearing on the county’s 2024 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) for federal housing and community development grants and then voted to accept the CAPER and to authorize acceptance of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) plan‑year 2025 CDBG and HOME awards.

Michaela Kitchen, assistant director of the Cumberland County Redevelopment Authority, presented the CAPER and summarized allocations, expenditures and program accomplishments across three active federal funding streams: CDBG (Community Development Block Grant), HOME and CARES/ARP supplemental funds. Kitchen said the county’s 2024 CDBG allocation was $1,254,163 and the HOME allocation was $497,075.18; the county also still has open balances from earlier CDBG‑CV (CARES) and HOME‑ARP awards that were reported to HUD.

Why it matters: the CAPER is the annual HUD‑required report that details how entitlement jurisdictions used CDBG and HOME funds, shows compliance with program caps and timeliness tests, and records accomplishments for low‑ and moderate‑income (LMI) residents. Acceptance by the board records the county’s official review of the year’s activity and allows staff to proceed with required next steps and program reporting to HUD.

Key figures and program outcomes Kitchen cited:
- 2024 allocations reported: CDBG $1,254,163; HOME $497,075.18.
- CDBG‑CV (CARES) and HOME‑ARP remaining open balances were reported as continuing funding channels used in 2024 reporting.
- Timeliness: the HUD timeliness ratio requirement (unexpected funds may not total more than 1.5 times the current year’s grant by May 2) was met; Kitchen reported the county’s ratio at 1.48%.
- LMI benefit: at least 70% of CDBG expenditures must benefit low‑ and moderate‑income persons; the county expended 89.65% of CDBG funds on LMI benefit activities in 2024, Kitchen said.
- Public service cap: HUD limits public service uses to a maximum of 15% of the annual allocation; the county used $198,224.46 for public service (about 13% of plan‑year expenditures), and CDBG‑CV public service expenditures were reported separately.
- Planning and administrative costs: Kitchen reported county planning and administrative spending of $209,682.19 and said that spending represented a percentage of the allocation used for planning/admin (Kitchen’s presentation described compliance with HUD limits for planning/admin).
- HOME program: the county reported reserving the required HOME CHDO set‑aside (15% minimum), matching obligations for HOME draws, and HOME planning/admin expenditures consistent with program limits.

Accomplishments described in the CAPER included down‑payment and closing cost assistance and code‑enforcement work in housing; approximately $649,593 in public‑facilities investments across nine projects; $198,224 in public‑service spending supporting 10 programs; and $53,140 in economic development spending for two programs (including a Cumberland Street View program and one business acquisition). On HOME and HOME‑ARP, Kitchen listed recent assistance for single‑family construction and acquisition/rehabilitation by Tri‑County Housing Development Corporation, funding to Safe Harbor’s Harbor Village at Smith Farms (acquisition/new construction), nonprofit operating set‑asides, tenant‑based rental assistance obligations and uses, and dollars obligated to domestic violence shelter repairs and to rehabilitation of units dedicated to people who were chronically homeless.

Public comment and follow‑up questions:
- Eric Saunders, executive director of New Hope Ministries, thanked the county for CDBG awards the nonprofit received. Saunders said the awards funded a walk‑in refrigerator and freezer for New Hope’s Enola food pantry that benefited 1,956 Cumberland County residents last year, and that just over $200,000 of CDBG‑funded assistance helped 96 county families avoid eviction.
- Commissioners asked how the county solicits projects and whether staff proactively issue calls for applications. Kitchen said the redevelopment authority does publish RFPs on its website and social media; she said HOME is harder for applicants because of program requirements and affordability periods, but that at least two HOME applications were in process. Kitchen also said staff is considering using funds for county blight remediation (rehabilitation or redevelopment of blighted single‑family properties) and cited Tri‑County’s prior successful projects.
- Commissioners asked for clearer line‑item reporting by project (for example, breaking the nine public‑facility projects into per‑project dollar amounts). Kitchen said her colleague prepares the CAPER data in HUD’s reporting system and that she would ask that the next report include per‑project breakout if the HUD reporting export supports it; staff agreed to follow up by email with more detail, and Kitchen noted Mary (a redevelopment authority colleague) will return to the office Nov. 3 and could assist with those details.
- A commissioner asked about the disposition and timeline for a tax‑credit project at the Tyco site; Kitchen said she would check with the appropriate contact and report back.

Board action:
- After the hearing and discussion, a commissioner moved and the board voted to accept the 2024 CAPER. The motion carried on a voice vote; the board recorded the motion as approved (the transcript does not record a roll‑call tally).
- The board then discussed and approved acceptance of HUD plan‑year 2025 CDBG and HOME grant awards; again the approval was by motion and voice vote, with no roll‑call tally recorded in the meeting transcript.

What’s next: staff committed to follow up with written answers by email on requested project‑level breakdowns and on the status/timeline for the Tyco tax‑credit project. Kitchen also noted Mary will return Nov. 3 and staff expect to continue outreach to potential applicants for HOME and other programs.

Meeting context: the CAPER hearing opened the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners meeting; the board proceeded after the public hearing to regular business and voted to accept the CAPER and to accept HUD grants for plan year 2025. No formal objections or changes to the CAPER were recorded in the hearing.