Committee approves 2024 CAPER documenting HUD-funded activities, closes public comment

The Housing and Community Development Committee on March 18 voted unanimously to approve the city’s 2024 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report, known as the CAPER, which documents how federal HUD entitlement funds were used during the 2024 program year and across the 2020–2024 consolidated plan period.

The CAPER details that Evanston received about $2,200,000 in HUD entitlement funds in 2024 — including $1,870,388 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding and $330,903 in HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) funds — and expended about $2,000,000 of federal funds across program years. Mary Anne (Community Development staff) said the report also accounts for prior-year program income and remnant CDBG-CV CARES Act funds that allowed continued activity despite not receiving an Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) in 2024.

The committee was asked to close the CAPER public comment period before taking up the vote; that procedural motion was approved without further public remarks. The CAPER motion then passed in a roll-call vote recorded as all ayes.

Committee members discussed program-by-program results. Mary Anne said Evanston met or exceeded several short-term goals — construction of rental units, code enforcement and rental rehabilitation activity — but noted the housing rehabilitation program remains behind due to COVID-related supply-chain delays and a slow restart of one-at-a-time owner-occupied work. About $500,000 of 2024 spending was recorded under the affordable housing category. The report also shows about $600,000 spent on livable-community projects and public-infrastructure improvements, but higher-than-expected costs reduced the number of projects completed under the consolidated-plan timeline.

On homelessness and housing-stability services, staff reported they did not receive an ESG award for 2024 and therefore did not administer an ESG rapid rehousing grant that program year. Mary Anne said the city exceeded planned goals for eviction prevention, day shelter and outreach programs but fell short on rapid rehousing and some tenant-based rental assistance (TBRA) metrics; staff cited rising rents, limits tied to fair-market rent thresholds, and difficulty locating larger affordable units for eligible families as contributing factors.

Committee members asked about related topics that appear in or alongside the CAPER narrative. Council member Herrera Cadiz and others asked about outreach tied to the recently updated Residential Landlord-Tenant Ordinance (RLTO). Mary Anne and staff described a public outreach program: landlord webinars were held March 5–6 (70 landlords registered), a walk-in help session at the main library is scheduled for March 24 (1:30–4 p.m., first-come, first-served) with on-site Metropolitan Tenants Organization (MTO) assistance, a tenant webinar in English on March 25 at 7 p.m., and a tenant webinar in Spanish on April 3 at 7 p.m. Staff said recordings and short video snippets and a chatbot update will be posted on the city website for ongoing access.

Several committee members asked about the Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC) and reported HUD reviews that found operational deficiencies; staff said HACC is working with HUD to resolve those issues and that inclusion in the CAPER reflects that status.

Votes at a glance - Motion to close public comment on the CAPER: approved (mover/second not specified in the record). Notes: procedural closure of the public hearing segment. - Motion to approve minutes of Dec. 17 meeting: approved (mover/second not specified in the record). - Motion to approve the 2024 CAPER for the City’s CDBG and HOME programs: approved. Roll-call votes in the record: Chair Veil — Aye; Council member Burns — Aye; Council member Herrera — Aye; Trina Entimere — Aye; Fran Sweeney — Aye; Joanne Salome — Aye.

The committee requested that staff share any available countywide point-in-time homeless count results and to continue RLTO outreach and recorded resources. Staff said the CAPER is due to HUD by March 31 and encouraged committee members to direct any follow-up questions to the community development department.

The committee adjourned the item after the vote and moved to other agenda items.