City reports HUD CAPER: $3.7M spent, balances remain across CDBG and HOME funds

Kathy Fuentes, senior community development coordinator, presented the city’s CAPER (Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report) on Jan. 21, summarizing the city’s HUD‑funded activities, expenditures and program accomplishments for fiscal year 2024.

Fuentes said the CAPER reports on Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME program activity, as well as CARES Act (CDBG‑CV) and HOME‑ARP funds where applicable. She reported total HUD expenditures of $3,701,228 for the year and a combined grant balance across HUD programs of $3,235,470 as of June 30.

Nut graf: The CAPER lists program outcomes across housing, public improvements and small business assistance — including down‑payment assistance, infill housing completions, home rehabilitation work, public‑improvement projects in target tracts, microenterprise loans and rental assistance to households experiencing homelessness.

Key CAPER figures Fuentes presented include: CDBG expenditures about $2,174,000 with an ending CDBG entitlement balance of $554,460; CDBG‑CV beginning balance about $730,000 with $168,000 expended and $562,438 remaining; HOME expenditures of about $1,295,000 leaving $555,110; and HOME‑ARP beginning balance of about $1,600,000 with $63,000 expended and $1,563,463 remaining. Fuentes said total HUD fund balance as of June 30 is $3,235,470.

Program accomplishments listed in the CAPER: 46 low‑ and moderate‑income homebuyers received down‑payment assistance through the city’s homebuyer program; the city completed multiple infill and rehabilitated homes under its Quality Neighborhoods program; public‑improvement projects in targeted census tracts improved sidewalks and streets and were estimated to affect roughly 23,400 people in those tracts; CDBG‑funded emergency home repairs assisted four very low‑income homeowners; and the microenterprise and small‑business loan programs supported business recovery and job creation (staff reported one full‑time equivalent job created in the year from those programs).

Fuentes also said tenant‑based rental assistance under HOME‑ARP helped 22 households (48 people total: 26 children and 22 adults) and that administration costs for CDBG and HOME were about $437,977. She said the total HUD‑funded spending for the fiscal year was $3,701,228.

Councilors asked about timeliness and restrictions. Fuentes noted HUD’s timeliness test for CDBG (1.5 times entitlement threshold on May 1) and the HOME requirements to commit and spend funds within statutory timeframes; she said staff monitors those tests and spends program income on eligible projects. Fuentes said staff plans work sessions to discuss fair‑housing analysis and comp‑plan alignment in February and April.

Ending: Fuentes said staff will continue work on program implementation and compliance and will present more detailed fair‑housing and comp‑plan discussions at upcoming work sessions.