Cumberland County commissioners on June 26 approved the county’s draft annual action plan for federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME funds, clearing a list of recommended activities that county staff said were scored from applications received December 2024–March 2025.

County staff said the CDBG total allocation for the year is $1,260,456; the county elected to take its full allowable administrative allocation (20% cap) for administrative costs. Housing activities recommended included code enforcement projects in Shippensburg Township and Shippensburg Borough, rehabilitation projects (Esther’s House and Shippen House by Homes for America), and multiple public facility ADA ramp projects in Upper Allen Township, New Cumberland Borough, East Pennsboro Township and Camp Hill Borough.

Public facilities and services recommended included a quarry restoration project for Mechanicsburg Borough, emergency shelter repairs for domestic violence services, refrigeration work for the Lemoyne Center (New Hope Ministries), and service projects such as workforce development training and homeless-to-home programs. The county noted several applications were denied because they fell below the public scoring threshold or did not qualify under county jurisdiction; staff will notify applicants in writing after the public comment period and submit the plan to HUD.

County staff also reported HOME program funding of $535,074.50 with $53,507.45 taken for administration and a 15% set-aside for over-served households totaling $80,261.18; some HOME funds remain unobligated and staff said they have not yet received applications for those funds. Commissioners approved the annual action plan and directed staff to send denial notices and to work with applicants that can supply required materials within the 30-day public comment period.

Applications denied included an economic development small-business assistance request from Cumberland Area Economic Development Corporation (due to existing funds), an infrastructure request for Project Share (jurisdictional issue), Shippensburg enhanced police patrols (scored below threshold), and multiple supportive services or rent-subsidy requests that did not reach the county’s scoring cutoff.