Evansville presents 2023 CAPER detailing HUD-funded housing, homeless and local programs

Haley Hale, community development coordinator for the Department of Metropolitan Development, presented the City of Evansville’s 2023 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER), summarizing how HUD and related local funds were spent during the July 1, 2023–June 30, 2024 program year.

The CAPER documents outputs and outcomes for Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME programs and is required for the city to remain eligible for HUD funding. "The CAPER is the City of Evansville's consolidated annual performance and evaluation report," Hale said, and she announced the working draft is posted on the city website for a 30-day public comment period.

Hale reported nine ESG-funded programs received $231,441 in 2023. Those programs — including homeless shelters, coordinated entry and rapid rehousing — served an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 unduplicated clients and provided about 17,500 meal and laundry services.

On CDBG activity, Hale summarized the program-year totals as roughly $2,655,580 across public and non-public-service uses and said approximately 59 CDBG programs were funded. Of that, she identified $322,270 allocated to public service activities (22 programs) that delivered youth services, childcare, disability services, nutrition, senior programs, crisis intervention and homeless prevention and reported roughly 30,642 low- and moderate-income persons served. Non-public-service CDBG awards (about 37 programs) supported facility improvements, housing rehabilitation, code enforcement, homeowner repair, public facilities and park projects; Hale noted an estimated 23,572 people or facilities benefited from acquisition/public-facilities activity measured by area benefit formulas.

Hale said HOME funds totaled $794,217 in 2023. She listed several HOME-funded and HOME-eligible projects at varying stages: Advantix new construction at 818 Madison; the "Cape on Cody" two-container-unit project; Hope of Evansville rehabilitation (121 East Missouri, with a later correction noting 618 East Delaware); Habitat for Humanity new-construction homebuyer units near the Teepee Park area; UCS potential single-room-occupancy or 8-unit projects; and Memorial CDC’s Memorial Villas scattered-site homebuyer construction. Hale explained most HOME commitments are reserved for development-ready projects.

The city also received $2,739,593 in HOME-ARP (American Rescue Plan) funds, which Hale said were allocated to two affordable rental developments, Baker Flats and Echo Promise Home, and will support on-site or referral-based supportive services as well as related administration and planning costs.

Hale reviewed COVID-related federal funding the city received: CDBG-CV round 1 at $1,592,787; ESG-CV round 1 at $790,140; ESG-CV round 2 at $941,088; and an additional CDBG-CV allotment of $750,657. She said ESG-CV funds have been fully expended and about 10 percent of CDBG-CV remained unspent at the time of the presentation.

Hale described local initiatives and outreach: Department staff attend neighborhood association meetings and a neighborhood focus council; the Affordable Housing Fund Advisory Committee (AHFAC) meets bimonthly to advise administration of a roughly $500,000 annual local housing trust fund that supports owner-occupied repairs and affordable housing developments; and a DMD project manager coordinates Promise Zone-related funding. Hale also reminded prospective subrecipients that HUD grant training was held June 28–July 1, 2022 for the 2023 action-plan applicants and that the 2023 action-plan public hearing occurred May 5, 2023.

For public review and comment Hale directed listeners to the working draft of the CAPER at evansville.in.gov/cdfederalprograms and provided contact information via the meeting slides. "Thank you for your time and that completes this presentation on Evansville's 2023 CAPER," she said.

The CAPER working-draft public comment period is open for 30 days from the posting date on the city website; the city will use monthly subrecipient monitoring reports to finalize reported accomplishments and expenditures for the HUD program year.