A committee will be established to examine hundreds of application forms from people who are interested in relocating to the Queen City. Officials from Cumberland stated that the goal of the trial program was to expand the “talented workforce” in the region, boost economic opportunities, and enhance city housing.
A $10,000 relocation incentive was available for a limited period of time to those who relocated to Cumberland. Additionally, a $10,000 “dollar for dollar match” was offered for authorized repairs to an existing property or as a down payment on a recently constructed house inside the city limits.
The Plan Is Marketed By The City
According to Cumberland Administrator Jeff Silka, the Choose Cumberland Relocation Program has had “colossal success” in terms of interest. Launched in late August, the plan is marketed by the city as a service for individuals who live outside of Allegany County, work remotely, or are planning to move to Cumberland for employment.
The show was covered by media outlets nationwide, including Newsweek, ABC, and FOX, when an article about it appeared in the Cumberland Times-News the next day. The city’s historic preservation planner, Ruth Davis-Rogers, stated at the time, “We are getting, on average, approximately 20 to 30 applications every single hour, alongside phone calls… even in the middle of the night.”
She also mentioned that applications were coming from states such as California, Oklahoma, Arizona, and North Carolina. She added, “It’s impossible for me to keep up with them.” “My computer completely shut down.”
Candidates selected for the program shall have 6 months to purchase a home, failing which they will be eliminated from consideration and substituted with another candidate, according to Davis-Rogers. City representatives will examine the requests they have received now that the period of application has ended.
Informational Interviews After The Applications Have Been Assessed
“Due to the simple fact that we got more applications compared to funding, many applicants shall be unable to proceed on to the next stage of the selection procedure,” the website for the city stated. “We believe to get more funding to keep running this initiative in the future.”
Mayor Silka stated that as of Tuesday, “overburdened” local officials were with applications. The top 20 candidates will be contacted for additional informational interviews after the applications have been assessed, he said.
Silka stated that 10 candidates shall be “whittled down” from that list and given Zoom interviews. Rock Cioni and Laurie Marchini, members of the Cumberland City Council, offered to be on a committee that would evaluate the applicants. “Hopefully we shall have it completed by the holidays,” added Silka.