With its historic church steeples and the arched Blue Bridge stretching across the north branch of the Potomac River, the city of Cumberland in western Maryland offers a picturesque view of small-town Appalachia to anyone passing by along Interstate 68.
But the once-robust hub of manufacturing has struggled since the days it was known as Maryland’s “Queen City,” as its population has dropped from nearly 40,000 in 1940 to less than half of that today. A fifth of Cumberland’s 19,000 residents live in poverty now after the glass factories and, later, the tire plant and other businesses shut down.
As part of a broader effort to recapture some of the city’s former vitality, Cumberland is hoping to take advantage of the pandemic shift to remote work by giving $20,000 to 10 home buyers who promise to invest in those properties and become part of the community.
The “Choose Cumberland Relocation Program” will give $10,000 in cash to 10 people, as well as up to $10,000 in matching funds toward renovations or down payments. The city is funding the cash payments, while the matching payments will be funded by a $100,000 grant from Maryland’s Community Legacy Program, which supports projects aimed at strengthening and revitalizing communities.
“It’s really to attract people who will benefit your community,” said Cumberland City Council member Laurie Marchini. “It’s not a social services program; it’s to bring people in who are employed.”
The pilot program, for which applications opened last week and will close after Tuesday, is not a particularly new approach to community building.
Local and state governments across the country have launched similar programs in hopes of tapping into the massive demographic shift caused by the pandemic, where professionals allowed to work from home were suddenly searching for cheaper homes and more space.
