PROBLEM/ISSUE STATEMENT:  As a recipient of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships program (HOME) funding, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires City staff to submit a performance report within 90 days following June 30, the end of the program year. This report is called the Comprehensive Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER).

As part of the community review process, City staff must make the report available for public comment for a minimum 15-day period, scheduled from August 26 through September 12, 2016. Staff must also coordinate a public hearing to receive comments, which has been scheduled during the City Council meeting on September 12, 2016. The Council must conduct a public hearing to collect any comments from the community and no further Council action is required on the CAPER at this time.

A notice of the availability of the draft report has been published and provided to community partners. An excerpt of the CAPER has been provided as an attachment to this report. The full report may be viewed online at www.ci.billings.mt.us/caper.

City Council's only option is to hold the public hearing on the CAPER in order continue receiving CDBG and HOME funds and to comply with Federal law.

The CAPER summarizes the City’s progress in achieving the goals of its five-year Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan for FY2015-2016. The City received $562,741 in new Federal CDBG funding and $263,688 in new HOME funding to carry out home buyer / repair and poverty-impact initiatives.

Staff recommends that the Council hold a public hearing on September 12, 2016 to receive input on the City’s draft program year 2016 CAPER. No further action is required at this time.