CUYAHOGA URBAN COUNTY AND CUYAHOGA HOUSING CONSORTIUM CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION REPORT (CAPER); CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN AMENDMENT DUE TO CARES ACT; AND USE OF FIRST ROUND OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT AND EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT – CARES ACT FUNDING

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires local governments to prepare, make available for public viewing, and consider public comments on five year Consolidated Plans and one year Annual Action Plans as they apply for and use their formula allocations of funding under three grant programs: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), and Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG).

Cuyahoga County administers CDBG and ESG funds on behalf of 51 Cuyahoga County suburbs that have joined together as the Cuyahoga Urban County. The cities of Cleveland Heights, Euclid, Lakewood, and Parma, which each receive their own CDBG funds, have joined together with the Cuyahoga Urban County to form the Cuyahoga Housing Consortium, to administer HOME funds.

Each year a Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) is submitted to HUD discussing performance results from programs operated with CDBG, ESG, and HOME funding.

The Draft 2019 CAPER for the Cuyahoga Housing Consortium and Cuyahoga Urban County is now available for public review on the Cuyahoga County Department of Development website. Comments on the Draft 2019 CAPER may be submitted by email through May 14, 2020.

On April 3, 2020, HUD began distributing award letters notifying local jurisdictions of supplemental allocations of CDBG and ESG funds as authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Law 116-136. The CARES Act also authorizes jurisdictions receiving CDBG, HOME, and ESG funds to amend their Citizen Participation Plans to include online public review and hearing provisions, and expedited public comment periods, in light of the pandemic situation.

In accordance with the CARES Act funding Cuyahoga County is amending its Citizen Participation Plan to allow for online public review and hearings with an expedited five day public comment period.

The draft Citizens Participation Plan amendment for the Cuyahoga Housing Consortium and Cuyahoga Urban County is now available for review on the Department of Development website. The amendment will be discussed at a May 4, 2020 public hearing. Comments may be submitted through May 4, 2020.

Use of the Cuyahoga Urban County’s first allocations of CDBG-CV and ESG-CV funds under the CARES act, totaling more than $2.5 million, will be included in the Cuyahoga Urban County’s 2020 Action Plan. Use of these additional funds will be discussed at a May 4, 2020 public hearing. Comments may be submitted through May 4, 2020.

A public hearing on the Citizen Participation Plan amendments and use of CDBG-CV and ESG-CV funds will be held Monday, May 4, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. Members of the public may participate in the public hearing by calling 1-877-4029757 with meeting code 453 385 1. Anyone requiring an accommodation to participate in the hearing must email spjackson@cuyahogacounty.us by Friday, May 1, 2020 at 4PM.

Comments on the 2019 CAPER, the Citizen Participation Plan amendment, or use of CDBG-CV and ESG-CV funds for the Cuyahoga Urban County, should be emailed to spjackson@cuyahogacounty.us.