RAD Program

The Public Housing Program has been faced with severe cuts in the annual subsidy funding and Capital Fund Program for over a decade with no indication of improvement. The amount of major renovation required on our developments, like other housing authorities nationwide, continue to increase while funding decreases. Congress authorized the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Program in 2012 to meet this funding challenge. RAD enables our Housing Authority to convert the public housing properties to project based Section 8 contracts and, in so doing, permits an infusion of private capital to address the project’s repair and rehabilitation needs.

The benefits of the RAD program include: a more stable funding platform; the ability to borrow money and perform rehabilitation work; living conditions within our developments are able to be improved to a modern status; and there is less government involvement and oversight.

The Housing Authority of the City of Cumberland submitted applications to the RAD Program in November 2015 for all developments to participate in the program. In January 2017, HUD awarded approval to for Fort Cumberland Homes and John F. Kennedy Homes to begin the process of planning for a conversion from Public Housing to Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA).

Our development team which has been approved by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and HUD consists of:

The Cumberland Housing Group – Developer

Chesapeake Community Advisers – Financial and Technical Adviser

EADS Architects of Somerset, PA – Architectural Design

East Hills Engineering of Windber PA – Engineering Design

The Belt Group of Cumberland MD – General Contractor

River Bend Court (formerly Fort Cumberland Homes) – COMPLETED December 2021

A notice to enter into a Contract for Housing Assistance Payments (CHAP) was awarded on January 10, 2017. Our designs, financing plans and application was submitted to the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development on May 10, 2019 for review. Final plans, specifications and financing plans have been submitted to HUD and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and construction started on July 10, 2020. This is a $19,385,726 project was financed by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, Stratford Capital Investment Group, bonds and the Cumberland Housing Group.

CHANGES & IMPROVEMENTS

General

Twelve units are being downsized from 2-BR to 1-BR units to address the need with the second bedroom being converted to storage
Building #9 will be converted into a Community Center featuring: a kitchen, table and chairs for resident and council activities; a rear patio; a computer center; site office; and new mailboxes mounted under a porch for protection. A rent collection box will be present on site to place your rent payments instead of traveling to the main office.
Four physically handicapped accessible and two hearing impaired units will be created.
An onsite laundry facility will be constructed at the rear of the Community Center building.

Exterior:

New roofs with three separate colors and soffit, fascia, gutters and spouting
New 6 panel front and rear entry doors, hardware and locks
Porch over the unit front entrance with a ceiling light to be on dusk to dawn
Vinyl siding replaced with colored Hardy Board siding
New large rear patio with device implanted in concrete for chaining down grills, bikes, etc.
The panel under the ground floor windows to remain but will be painted to match siding and doors for that building
Dumpster improvements: the dumpster in front of building 3 and 9 will be eliminated; the dumpster area at building 5 will be enlarged to two dumpsters and a recycling center with a privacy panel installed around and above; the dumpster at building 1 will be relocated to the area near the playground in front of building 1
New project signage and aluminum fence to replace area at Lamont Street/Blvd area
Walks at the rear of some buildings will be removed to afford more green space
New electrical distribution lines and a small section of storm water drains
New walks and repaving in many areas
Additional video surveillance to provide nearly 100% coverage of development
Clothes lines, storage sheds and fences will be removed
Housing will perform all mowing work moving forward
Tenants will not be permitted to have anything on their front porch or in the grass.
The rear patio will be limited to an outdoor patio set (table and chairs designed for outdoor use), one grill and one bicycle per tenant-nothing else.

Interior:

New cabinets, counters, wall coverings and appliances in kitchens
Washer and dryer hookups to be located side by side with some units receiving small closet
New shower surround, medicine cabinet, floor and wall finish in bathrooms
New no wax luxury vinyl flooring throughout the unit
Electrical upgrade to unit with additional fixtures and LED lighting
New individual unit-controlled heating and central air conditioning

All renovations have been engineered and designed based upon or in accordance with Local, State and Federal laws, Uniform Building Code, National Electrical & Plumbing Code, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development housing rehabilitation requirements, and Americans with Disability Act/Section 504 Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards.

Resident Meeting Notice November 18, 2019

Resident Update November 13, 2019

Resident Meeting Notice October 17, 2019

Resident Meeting Minutes October 17, 2019

JFK Apartments (formerly John F. Kennedy Homes)

A notice to enter into a Contract for Housing Assistance Payments (CHAP) was awarded on January 10, 2017. That contract has been amended to remain current. We submitted our designs, financing plans and application to the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development on July 28, 2021 for review with construction planned to begin in the fourth quarter of 2022. As of 3/21/2024, JFK Apartments RAD construction has began and is projected to be completed fall of 2025. The John F. Kennedy Apartments building at 135 Mechanic Street is in the midst of a $30 million renovation. The total project cost is being financed by the Maryland Community Development Administration, Stratford Capital Group, and the Cumberland Housing Group. The Belt Group will serve as the general contractor.

Exterior:

Replacement of all windows
Painting to the exterior of the building (non brick areas)
New project signage and aluminum fence
Installation of a covered portico unloading area and the straightening of the circle drive with a direction change in traffic
New main entry and common areas doors
New secure entry systems and entry door to apartment intercoms

Interior:

New flooring, wall finishes and ceilings to all common areas
Enlargement and rehabilitation of the common area kitchen and community room
Relocation of vending and mailboxes to main foyer
Installation of a computer center
Relocation of the trash chute to the rear balcony area
Conversion of 30 efficiency units to 1 bedroom units
New 6 panel entry doors, hardware and locks
Rehabilitation to kitchens including new cabinets, counters, wall coverings and appliances
New shower surround, medicine cabinet, floor and wall finish in bathrooms
New no wax luxury vinyl flooring and drywall throughout the unit
Electrical upgrade to unit and building common areas with additional fixtures and LED lighting
Plumbing upgrades to unit and building common areas
New individual unit-controlled heating and central air conditioning
Additional video surveillance to provide nearly 100% coverage of development
Upgrades to cable tv and internet capability

All public housing residents were provided with a General Information Notice (GIN) in October 2015 and it has been provided to all new residents since that date. A copy of the notice is available by clicking on the link below.

All public housing residents of Fort Cumberland Homes and John F. Kennedy Homes were provided with a Resident Information Notice (RIN) in January 2017 and has been provided to all new residents since that date. A copy of the notice is available by clicking on the link below.

A link to the presentation which was made to residents at the developments in Resident Meetings is below. Anyone having questions should contact their Property Manager of a member of the Central Office. Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.

RAD – Resident Information Notice

RAD – General Information Notice

RAD – Informational Presentation February 2017 in PowerPoint

Resident Meeting Minutes 11/9/2021

Resident Meeting Q & A 4/1/6/2023

Resident Meeting Q & A 10/10/2023

July 19, 2022 – Queen City Tower RAD Application

The Housing Authority is preparing to submit an application to HUD for the conversion of Queen City Tower from the Public Housing Program to the Section 8 Project Based Rental Assistance Program through the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program. As required by HUD as a part of the application process; 1) A RAD Information Notice has been distributed to all residents of the building; 2) Informational Resident Meetings are being held on July 19th at 10:00 a.m. and July 21st at 3:00 p.m. in the QCT Community Room; and 3) After these meetings, a General Information Notice will be provided to all residents of QCT as required. These three actions are intended to provide the residents of Queen City Tower with proper access to the information pertaining to the RAD program and the intended actions of the Housing Authority. It also provides an opportunity for residents to ask questions and make suggestions pertaining to the intended actions. There are no timelines established for this development at this time.

RAD Information Notice (RIN)

General Information Notice (GIN)

Pre Application Resident Meeting PowerPoint Presentation – July 19 & 21, 2022

General RAD Information

An evaluation of converting our remaining developments to the RAD program is in process to determine feasibility and possible timeline.