State awards $955,000 to eight state, local partners lifting Texans out of poverty, toward self-sufficiency
AUSTIN, TX – March 11, 2010 – (RealEstateRama) — The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) has announced funding awards totaling $955,000 to three statewide organizations, four local or regional nonprofit agencies, and one South Texas county working to reduce the number of households living in poverty and helping them transition toward greater self-sufficiency.
The awards were part a special discretionary fund award under the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Program and represent a portion of the state’s $30 million annual allocation from the federal government.
“Helping Texans achieve self-sufficiency is the first priority of the CSBG Program and a critical component of the Department’s charge,” said Michael Gerber, TDHCA Executive Director. “To achieve this, we will work closely with our partners at both the state and local level to address the unique needs of homeless individuals, migrant farmworkers, and Native Americans while seeking creative ways to further our shared mission of reducing poverty and helping more individuals achieve independence.”
TDHCA awarded the following organizations through its 2010 CSBG Discretionary fund:
|
Organization |
General Service Area |
Award |
Proposed Activities |
|
Texas Association of Community Action Agencies |
Statewide |
$125,000 |
Training, grant writing assistance, research, and support for poverty/hunger relief projects |
|
Texas Homeless Network |
Statewide |
$125,000 |
Training, management development, coordination of resources, and communication of issues relating to homelessness |
|
Texas Council on Family Violence |
Statewide |
$125,000 |
Support and training to local organizations providing services to victims of domestic violence |
|
Community Council of South Central Texas |
Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Medina, Wilson counties |
$125,000 |
Direct assistance to migrant farmworkers for car repairs, rent/utility assistance, help obtaining prescription medications |
|
Urban Inter-Tribal Center of Texas |
Dallas/Fort Worth |
$125,000 |
Emergency assistance, rent/utility assistance, transportation, eye exams, and case management for Native Americans |
|
South Plains Community Action Association |
Bailey, Cochran, Garza, Hockley, Lamb, Lynn, Terry, Yoakum counties |
$125,000 |
Outreach activities increase awareness among migrant farmworkers of services that include child care, transportation, medical referrals and related services |
|
Hidalgo County |
Hidalgo County |
$80,000 |
Car repairs, car battery/gasoline purchases, tuition/book fees for educational opportunities and other assistance for migrant farmworkers |
|
Sin Fronteras Organizing Project |
El Paso and surrounding areas |
$45,000 |
Direct assistance to migrant farmworkers with food vouchers, transportation, items of personal hygiene, rent/utility assistance |
In making these awards, TDHCA placed an priority on programs providing assistance to migrant and seasonal farm workers, as well as Native Americans; and innovative or demonstration projects promoting after school care, youth development, services for seniors, healthy family initiatives and other worthy proposals that promote self-sufficiency, or increase the efficiency and capacity of these agencies in providing services.
The CSBG Program assists households earning no more than 200 percent of the federal poverty guideline, which equals an annual income of $44,100 for a family of four. Funding for the program comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and supports a variety of direct services in addition to helping maintain the core administrative elements of local partner organizations.
Unlike most of the Department’s funding programs, CSBG Program awards are not made through a competitive allocation process. Eligible entities are designated by the Governor to provide a broad range of services designed to eliminate poverty and foster self-sufficiency within a specific service region, and each agency receives a direct allocation from TDHCA based on a distribution formula.
However, the $955,000 in discretionary awards were made through a competitive process open to all CSBG eligible entities in Texas, with the Department selecting the eight strongest applications for funding.
For more information about the CSBG Program, CSBG eligible organizations and their designated service area, please call TDHCA’s Community Services Section at (512) 475-3950 or visit the Section’s Web site at www.tdhca.state.tx.us/cs.htm#csbg.
About The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs is the state agency responsible for affordable housing, community services, energy assistance, and colonia housing programs. The Department currently administers more than $2 billion through for-profit, nonprofit, and local government partnerships to deliver local housing and community-based opportunities and assistance to Texans in need.
