NOTICE OF PUBLIC INSPECTION AND PUBLIC HEARING

IOWA COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT (CSBG) PROGRAM

Iowans have an opportunity to inspect and comment on Iowa’s proposed Federal Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) State Plan and Application.

The purpose of the federal CSBG Program is to provide assistance to states and local communities, working through a network of community action agencies and other neighborhood-based organizations, for the reduction of poverty, revitalization of low- income communities, and the empowerment of low-income families and individuals in rural and urban areas to become fully self-sufficient. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Community Access administers Iowa’s CSBG Program and is authorized by Iowa law to contract and distribute Iowa’s CSBG Program funds to Iowa’s community action agencies.

The proposed Plan and Application will be available on the Community Action Agencies’ website https://humanrights.iowa.gov/dcaa/community-services-block-grant from July 31 – August 9, 2023. The inspection and comment period will be July 31 – August 9, 2023. All comments must be e-mailed to the following e-mail address with the subject line prior to August 10, 2023, to be considered:
E-mail Address: dcaa@iowa.gov
Subject: Comments – CSBG State Plan

A virtual public hearing on the proposed Plan and Application will be held on August 10, 2023, 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.   Please see the link below for the public hearing.

    Topic: CSBG & LIHEAP State Plans Public Hearing

    Time: Aug 10, 2023 03:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87994133937
Meeting ID: 879 9413 3937

    One tap mobile:  +13126266799,,87994133937# US (Chicago)

    Dial by your location:  +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

    Meeting ID: 879 9413 3937
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kO0duRwVF

The proposed Plan and Application is subject to change based on comments received and regulations from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Draft CSBG State Plan and Application 2024-2025

CSBG State Plan Attachments FFY24-25

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The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) is a federal block grant program that is administered by the states.  The purpose of the CSBG is to provide funding to states and local agencies for the reduction of poverty, the revitalization of low-income communities, and the empowerment of low-income families and individuals in rural and urban areas to become fully self-sufficient.

The purpose of Iowa’s CSBG Program is to support the efforts of Iowa’s community action agencies in alleviating the causes and conditions of poverty in their communities.

Iowa’s CSBG Program

Iowa’s CSBG Program is funded by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.  The Division of Community Action Agencies distributes the CSBG funds to Iowa’s 16 community action agencies, which create, coordinate, and deliver many programs and services to low-income Iowans.  The CSBG Program funds the central management and core activities of these agencies.  The agencies use their CSBG funds to mobilize additional public and private resources to combat the central causes of poverty in their communities and to assist low-income individuals to achieve self-sufficiency and ensure their basic needs are met.

Iowa’s community action agencies use CSBG to support their efforts in helping low-income Iowans:

• Remove obstacles and solve problems that block the achievement of self-sufficiency;
• Secure and retain meaningful employment;
• Attain an adequate education;
• Make better use of available income;
• Obtain and maintain adequate housing and a suitable living environment;
• Obtain emergency assistance to meet the immediate and urgent family needs;
• Achieve greater participation in the affairs of communities; and
• Address the needs of youth in low-income communities.

In federal fiscal year 2022, Iowa’s CSBG funding was over $8.1 million.  Iowa’s community action agencies used their CSBG funding in their efforts to serve over 120,000 families and over 278,000 individuals.  The agencies administered $177 million in federal, state, local, and private funding and resources.

Visit the CSBG Resources page for additional information.

For more information regarding the CSBG program or questions, please call 515-229-0438 or email Lorie.Easter@iowa.gov.