Council adopts CAPER reporting CDBG activities for 2024–25 program year

Medford City Council voted unanimously on Sept. 3 to adopt the city’s 2024–25 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs and to submit the report to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Planning director Michelle King presented highlights including the program year period (July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025), that expenditures must target low- and moderate-income beneficiaries, and that the city spent down a multi-year CDBG balance through several projects and subrecipient activities. The report showed approximately $687,000 available for the program year across categories such as public services, public facilities, administration and housing; CDBG-CV (COVID) funds were reported separately.

Key projects and outcomes in the CAPER presentation included navigation-center expenditures (about $900,000 from CDBG and CARES Act funds when leveraged with other funding), Columbia Care rehab of 16 veteran-occupied apartments (reported figure in the meeting record), and multiple service-provider programs that together served roughly 2,600 people during the year. Staff said the city remained under HUD caps for public services and administration and highlighted leveraged funds from partners, including a $2.7 million ARPA-funded water and sewer infrastructure award that connected to affordable housing development.

King told council the CAPER is largely formulaic for HUD reporting purposes and that the Planning Department will bring a housing “extravaganza” study session on Oct. 8 to discuss funding priorities for the upcoming grant season. Council then opened and closed a public hearing on the CAPER; no members of the public spoke. The council approved council bill 2025-274 by roll call (8 yes) to transmit the CAPER to HUD.