Michele Bender

This Five Year PHA Plan outlines the mission to ensure safe, decent, sanitary, affordable, and well-maintained housing, create opportunities for resident self-sufficiency, assure fiscal integrity, develop affordable housing, and revitalize neighborhoods. Key strategic goals include affirmatively furthering fair housing and equal opportunity, improving agency efficiency and effectiveness, enhancing the quality of the existing housing inventory, providing and attracting resident supportive services, maintaining a High Performer designation for the Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS), evaluating the transition of public housing developments under the HUD Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Program, and effectively seeking out local, state, and federal funding opportunities.

The document outlines the Rent and Utility Allowance Rate Schedule, detailing HUD Fair Market Rents, utility allowances, adjusted flat rents, ceiling rents, and minimum rents for various properties including Jane Frazier Village, Queen City Tower, Banneker Gardens, JFK Apartments, Willow Valley Apartments, and Grande View Apartments. The schedule is based on FY2025 HUD Fair Market Rents for Allegany County, utility allowance data, contract rents issued by HUD, and HUD regulations.

The City of Cumberland Department of Community Development is proposing reallocations to existing Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) projects using surplus funds from the 2022 and 2023 CDBG Annual Action Plan awards. The proposed reallocations include increasing funding for the 2022 Constitution Park Improvements/Splashpad project and the 2023 Jane Frazier Village Sidewalk Improvements project. These reallocations will be discussed for approval at the regular Mayor and City Council meeting.

This 5-Year PHA Plan outlines the strategic direction for the Housing Authority of the City of Cumberland from 2025 to 2029. Its core mission is to provide safe, decent, affordable housing, promote resident self-sufficiency, ensure fiscal integrity, and revitalize communities. The plan focuses on seven key goals: furthering fair housing and equal opportunity, enhancing agency efficiency, improving housing inventory quality, expanding resident supportive services, maintaining high PHAS performance, evaluating the transition of public housing developments under the RAD Program, and actively seeking local, state, and federal funding opportunities.

The Section 3 Plan for the Cumberland Housing Group aims to ensure that employment and business opportunities generated by HUD financial assistance are directed, to the greatest extent feasible, to public housing residents, other low-income persons, and businesses providing economic opportunities to these groups. Key focus areas include establishing contracting policies and procedures, setting employment and training goals for Section 3 workers and businesses, outlining certification processes for eligible participants and businesses, and detailing outreach and recruitment efforts. The plan also covers assisting contractors, reporting requirements, and internal complaint procedures, with the objective of achieving successful recruitment, employment, and utilization of eligible individuals and businesses.