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Christiansburg accepts 2024 CDBG CAPER and staff asks council to consider relinquishing entitlement status
Summary
Council unanimously accepted the town's 2024 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) CAPER and heard staff request consideration of relinquishing 'entitlement community' status to pursue competitive grants for larger projects; staff described annual CDBG allocations and how funds have been used.
The Christiansburg Town Council voted unanimously to accept the Town's 2024 consolidated annual performance and evaluation report (CAPER) for the Community Development Block Grant program and heard a staff request to consider relinquishing the town's entitlement-community status.
Ms. Jackson (staff) presented the CAPER as a summary of past projects and fund use and told council the town currently receives roughly $155,000 annually through the program. She said about $110,000 of that is typically used for infrastructure projects, $45,000 for homelessness-prevention efforts (including work with Habitat for Humanity to rehab homes), and roughly $10,000 for rental- and utility-assistance programs.
Jackson told council that staff time spent on CDBG reporting and administration is substantial relative to what the town receives, and that relinquishing entitlement status could make the town eligible for competitive grants better suited to funding a single, larger capital project. She said the entitlement program is authorized under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 and that benefits vary depending on a community's demographics and needs.
Council members asked clarifying questions: who runs rental assistance (Jackson said the town runs the rental-assistance payments with Community Action as a partner that handles eligibility checks), whether the East Main Street sidewalks represented a 'significant project' (Jackson confirmed the East Main work had been consolidated over multiple years of funding), and how the town would proceed if it wished to refuse the entitlement allocation (Jackson said a letter from the mayor or administration would be required).
After discussion, a motion and second were made to accept the CAPER. The clerk called the roll and the vote was recorded as unanimous. With council's 'blessing,' Jackson said administration would pursue next steps related to entitlement status as appropriate.
Next steps: Council accepted the CAPER; staff will follow up on administratively feasible options for relinquishing entitlement status and will return with details, timelines and any implications for program delivery.
