Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Barack Obama on February 17, 2009. The Recovery Act is an expansive response to our nation’s fiscal crisis and an unprecedented effort to stimulate the national economy. The Recovery Act provides $1 billion in federal funds to community services block grant (CSBG) programs nationally, of which $86.7 million will be distributed to New York State (NYS). The NYS CSBG Recovery Act funds will be administered by the NYS Department of State, Division of Community Services. As required by the Recovery Act legislation, 99% of the funds received by NYS will be distributed directly to designated community action agencies (CAAs) throughout the State of New York. The remaining one percent is required to be reserved for statewide benefit enrollment coordination activities.
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Workforce Development
In the NYS CSBG American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) Draft Management Plan, the Department of State (DOS) assures the US Department of Health and Human Services that those programs, services, and activities funded or supported by Recovery Act funds will be carried out in a manner that supports the intent of the Recovery Act and the CSBG Act. Eligible entities are encouraged to use CSBG Recovery Act funds for employment-related services and activities that support, create and sustain economic growth in their communities.
DOS has requested and received Community Action Agency project plans summarizing the types of services and activities under consideration at the local level. DOS staff is analyzing this information to ensure the proposed projects meet the intent of the Recovery Act, and to identify agencies that may require assistance in developing an acceptable plan.
Community Services Block Grant (CSBG): Overview
The Community Services Block Grant Program (CSBG) is a federally funded program created to ameliorate the causes of poverty in communities. CSBG provides funding to a statewide network of community action agencies serving all 62 counties. The purpose of these funds is to provide assistance to local communities for the reduction of poverty, revitalization of low-income communities and empowerment of low-income families and individuals in rural areas, to become self-sufficient.
Community Action in New York State
For more than 40 years, New York’s community action agencies have been an effective local, grassroots, federally-designated network of anti-poverty agencies. Community Action Agencies are a catalyst for change, testing new initiatives and developing innovative methods to eliminate the causes and effects of poverty.
With a network of 52 organizations located throughout the Empire State that can reach every New Yorker, community action agencies form a statewide service delivery system that connects individuals and families to the services they need to achieve economic security.
The Department of State (DOS) is charged with administering the Community Services Block Grant Program (CSBG) within the State of New York and ensuring that Recovery Act funds are used effectively and for their intended purposes. To date, DOS staff has prepared for this task as follows:
- A DOS task force was developed to provide oversight, program support and direction in the administration of ARRA funds. This task force is comprised of staff representing DOS administration, internal audit, legal services, fiscal administration, and the Division of Community Services.
- Staff has developed an ARRA contract, including a payment schedule based on verification of outcomes; an ARRA Management Plan, due to the US Department of Health and Human Services on May 29, as well as an agency work plan form.
- Existing reporting mechanisms are being modified to accommodate separate ARRA tracking and reporting requirements so they are clearly distinguishable from annual entitlement CSBG funds.
- An assessment of the existing performance measurement system (ROMA) is being analyzed to determine the appropriate measures to be applied to CSBG ARRA outcomes stated in the ARRA.
- DOS is partnering with many sister agencies that provide funding to CAAs, including the NYS Office of Temporary Disabilities Assistance; Office of Children and Family Services, Department of Labor, Department of Health, Division of Housing and Community Renewal, and the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority. Dialogue has been initiated to develop additional opportunities for collaborative support, information sharing and guidance. As new guidance is provided to DOS by HHS, additional partners will be invited to work in partnership to ensure the purposes of Recovery Act are met.