Cumberland County accepts 2024 CAPER; commissioners approve 2025 HUD CDBG and HOME grants

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…