 DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR COMMENTS ON REVISED MODEL STATE PLAN AND DRAFT STATE AND FEDERAL ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES
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As the CSBG Network undergoes revisions to its Performance Management system, the time has come when we need your input. The deadline (March 27th!) is fast approaching. Community Action Partnership and the Organizational Standards of Excellence (OSCOE) encourage the entire CSBG Network to read through and consider the Revised Model State Plan and Draft State and Federal Accountability Measures and to participate in the comment periods.
For the Revised Model State Plan:
Submit comments to infocollection@acf.hhs.gov
In particular Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Community Services (OCS) are looking for feedback centered around:
(a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) The quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments on the draft Information Memorandum (IM) as well as the State and Federal Accountability Measures themselves are welcome
Comments from the National Level
The Partnership and OSCOE submitted comments on March 22nd. These are available in Microsoft Word as a resource for you. You are welcome to use any of the comments in your own submissions.
Memo from Partnership on Revisions to the Model State Plan
Memo from Partnership on Draft State and Federal Accountability Measures
National Community Action Foundation (NCAF) is also submitting comments.
Memo from NCAF on Revisions to the Model State Plan
Memo from NCAF on Draft State and Federal Accountability Measures
You may use these as models, as guidance for focusing your own comments, or re-iterate points from these submissions.
Want more information on the Revised Model State Plan or Draft State and Federal Accountability Measures?
Webinar conducted 3/19/2015 "Model State Plan Revisions: What CAAs and Associations Need to Know" with staff from OCS and Community Action Partnership 3 Part Webinar series from OCS and NASCSP walking through the revisions to the Model State Plan in their entirety
Dear Colleague Letter 1/29/2015 RE: CSBG Model State Plan Review Open Comment Period
Dear Colleague Letter 1/28/2015 RE: CSBG Draft State and Federal Accountability Measures
More information on all of the updates to the Performance Management system can be found on the Partnership's quicklink "Updates on CSBG Organizational Standards and ROMA Next Generation"
Remember - deadline for comments is this Friday, March 27th!
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NEW NLIHC REPORT ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING GAP RELEASED
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Nearly one-quarter of all renters in the United States have income at or below 30% of the area median income, and three-quarters of these extremely low income renters are forced to spend more than half of their income on the cost of rent and utilities due to the ongoing shortage of affordable housing. In fact, there are just 31 affordable and available rental units for every 100 extremely low income renter households, according to NLIHC's new report, Housing Spotlight: Affordable Housing is Nowhere to be Found for Millions.
The report provides a detailed look at the housing needs of low income renter households across the country by examining the gap between the supply and demand for affordable rental units at the national and state level, as well as for the 50 metropolitan areas with the largest renter populations. No state has more than 56 units affordable for every 100 extremely low income renter households and no metropolitan area has more than 47.
Current data show that homeownership rates and rental vacancy rates are at historic lows, factors which both drive up rents. At the same time, incomes are only just beginning to increase slightly. Furthermore, the bulk of new multifamily units are only affordable to middle or high income households, and there is a continued loss of public and assisted housing through demolition and conversion to market-rate developments.
Taken together, these trends indicate that without government intervention at the federal, state, and local level, the gap will keep growing.
Click here to download Housing Spotlight: Affordable Housing is Nowhere to be Found for Millions (PDF).
For More Information
Members of NLIHC are eligible for additional assistance with the data in this and other reports at no charge. Please contact Megan Bolton, NLIHC Research Director, at megan@nlihc.org or 202-662-1530 x 245.
About Housing Spotlight
Housing Spotlight is a series of research briefs from the National Low Income Housing Coalition that uses data from different sources to highlight a variety of housing issues. Learn more at www.nlihc.org/library/housingspotlight.
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CSBG DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTERS:
RECENT MEASLES OUTBREAK & IM #139 FEDERAL MATCHING REQUIREMENTS
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Dear Colleagues,
The Office of Community Services (OCS) would like to share some resources with the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Network in light of the recent measles outbreak.
The elimination of measles in the United States in 2000 is one of public health's most celebrated success stories. But as recent outbreaks have revealed, there is still reason to have concern about measles. Please make sure your child is protected from the measles. You can protect your child against measles with the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine that provides protection against these three diseases. The MMR vaccine is proven to be very safe and effective. Some adults need measles vaccine too. Find out who needs the vaccine here.
Measles spreads easily through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It is so contagious that if one person has it, 9 out of 10 of the people around him or her will also become infected if they are not protected. Pockets of unvaccinated communities are especially at risk for large outbreaks. While most people in this country are protected against measles through vaccination, the current outbreak highlights the importance of vaccination, as the majority of the adults and children in the outbreak reportedly either did not get vaccinated or did not know whether they had been vaccinated.
One thing we are certain of, the measles vaccine is safe and very effective. Two doses of measles vaccine are 97 percent effective, and even one dose is 93 percent effective. Find out where to get vaccinated here.
We appreciate you sharing these resources with your State and community networks.
Jeannie L. Chaffin Seth Hassett
Director Director, Division of State Assistance
Office of Community Services Office of Community Services
Dear Colleague:
Please see the published Information Memorandum 139: Use of CSBG Funds to Meet Cost Sharing Requirements for the Corporation for National and Community Service AmeriCorps program.
According to IM 139, CSBG funds may be used for cost sharing in the AmeriCorps program, as long as the funds are used for CSBG purposes and in accordance with the CSBG requirements. In addition, on a case-by-case basis, OCS may provide guidance on the use of CSBG for matching or cost share funds for other Federal programs.
Thank you for your commitment to helping lift people and communities up and out of poverty.
Jeannie L. Chaffin Seth Hassett
Director Director, Division of State Assistance
Office of Community Services Office of Community Services
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OVC and BJA ANNOUNCE FUNDING TO DEVELOP AND ENHANCE
HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCES
| The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) are now accepting applications under the FY 2015 Enhanced Collaborative Model to Combat Human Trafficking Competitive Solicitation.
OVC and BJA will jointly award between $600,000 and $900,000 to law enforcement agencies and victim service providers to work collaboratively to develop and enhance multidisciplinary human trafficking task forces that combat sex and labor trafficking of foreign nationals and U.S. citizens of all sexes and ages. The combined federal award amounts for each task force may not exceed $1.5 million dollars.
This funding announcement requires two separate but coordinated applications: one from a lead state, local, or tribal law enforcement agency and one from a lead victim service organization. The two applications must be developed in close collaboration with each other and must be submitted as a pair, with each applicant naming the other as the primary partner.
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PROMISE ZONES UPDATES: FY 2015 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES |
SECOND ROUND PROMISE ZONES COMPETITION
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FY 2015 Funding Opportunities
Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is seeking applications from eligible entities to plan and implement place-based, community-oriented strategies to address targeted crime issues within a neighborhood as a part of a broader neighborhood revitalization initiative. Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation (BCJI) resources will target hot spots of crime where a significant proportion of crime occurs as compared to the overall jurisdiction. BCJI furthers the Department's mission by leading efforts to enhance the capacity of local and tribal communities to effectively target and address significant crime issues through collaborative cross-sector approaches that help advance broader neighborhood development goals.
Application Deadline: April 21, 2015
View the BCJI 2015 Solicitation.
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Face Forward 3-Intermediary and Community Grants
The Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA) plans to award four intermediary organization grants of $5 million each and approximately 10 community organization grants of up to $1,050,000 million each, totaling approximately $30,500,000 million, to provide services to youth between the ages of 14 to 24 that have been involved in the Juvenile Justice System and never convicted in the adult criminal system.
The goal of the Face Forward program aligns closely with President Obama's "My Brother's Keeper" initiative which seeks to close opportunity gaps still faced by too many young people and often by boys and young men of color.
Grantees are expected to provide a range of services that include case management, mentoring, education and training services. Funded programs will also help to eliminate the stigma of a juvenile record by offering services to seal juvenile records and providing opportunities to handle delinquency complaints outside of the juvenile justice system.
Application Deadline: April 23, 2015
The Face Forward Funding Opportunity Announcement is available here.
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Community Economic Development Projects
For Fiscal Years (FYs) 2015 and 2016, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Community and Economic Development (CED) program, administered by the Office of Community Services (OCS) in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), will provide up to $17.7 million in grants ($800,000 maximum per project) to Community Development Corporations (CDCs) for projects designed to address the economic needs of individuals and families with low-income through the creation of employment and business opportunities.
Application Deadline:
FY 2015: April 24, 2015
FY 2016: March 4, 2016
For FYs 2015 and 2016, the Funding Opportunity Announcement will be open for application submission at least 60 days prior to the listed due date. No applications will be accepted in between the open application periods.
The Community Economic Development Projects Funding Announcement is available here.
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Community Economic Development Healthy Food Financing Initiative Projects
For FYs 2015 and 2016, OCS within ACF at HHS will provide up to $9.5 million in grants ($800,000 maximum per project) to CDCs for projects designed to address food deserts, improve access to healthy, affordable foods, and address the economic needs of individuals and families with low-income through the creation of business and employment opportunities.
The CED-HFFI program seeks to fund projects that implement strategies to address food deserts, increase healthy food access in low-income communities, foster self-sufficiency for low-income families, and create sustained employment opportunities in low-income communities.
Application Deadline:
FY 2015: April 24, 2015
FY 2016: March 4, 2016
For FYs 2015 and 2016, the Funding Opportunity Announcement will be open for application submission at least 60 days prior to the listed due date. No applications will be accepted in between the open application periods.
The Community Economic Development Healthy Food Financing Initiative Projects Funding Announcement is available here.
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More information is available on the Promise Zones web page.
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FNS ANNOUNCES SNAP E&T PILOTS IN 10 STATES
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(From CLASP) Last year's Farm Bill provided $200 million for pilots under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) program. While at least one person is employed in over half of all SNAP households with a working-age, non-disabled adult, these pilots will test whether SNAP E&T could more effectively connect unemployed and underemployed recipients to work. The goal is to help participants develop the skills they need to secure good jobs that provide economic security and reduce participation in SNAP. (Last week), the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Nutrition Service (FNS) announced the 10 states selected for funding. The selected pilots include a mix of mandatory and voluntary E&T programs, many of which also include career pathway models. Several of the pilots target individuals who face significant barriers to employment, including homeless adults, the long-term unemployed, individuals in the correctional system, and individuals with substance addiction illness. Each pilot involves multiple partners (such as workforce boards, community colleges, adult education providers, community-based organizations, and local employers) to connect workers to resources and services already available in the community. These states include: CA, DE, GA, IL, KS, KY, MS, VA, VT, and WA. There are several CAAs noted as Partners and we would guess many others will be involved in the rollout. If your CAA is involved in this pilot, please let Denise Harlow know at dharlow@communitactionpartnership.com.
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SSRC EMERGING SCHOLAR WEBINAR ON MARCH 26
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The Impact of Incarceration on Families, Communities, and Offenders
On March 26, 2015 from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT, the Self-Sufficiency Research Clearinghouse (SSRC) will host The Impact of Incarceration on Families, Communities, and Offenders Webinar, featuring SSRC Emerging Scholar Dr. Artika Tyner with Dr. Renee Wilson-Simmons as a discussant and Dr. Kristin Anderson Moore as Moderator. This free Webinar will focus on the social and economic impacts of incarceration on children, families, communities, and offenders. Dr. Tyner will discuss the Campaign for Prison Phone Justice, which explores the costs of prison phone calls, and how financial barriers to communication affect incarcerated individuals, their families, and communities. Dr. Tyner will also describe how her research findings have helped promote community engagement and advance policy changes. Registrants are invited to submit their questions here. Register here.
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WIPFLI NONPROFIT AND GOVERNMENT UPCOMING EVENTS
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August 24-25, 2015
OMB's New Uniform Guidance
Community Action Partnership Annual Convention
San Francisco Marriott Marquis
San Francisco, CA
Registration Fee:
Cost for Community Action Partnership members are as follows:
* $625 per participant registering on or before July 27, 2015. (Partnership Members must use the promo code CAPSF* when registering or they will be charged the regular early bird rate of $645)
* $795 (regular registration fee) per participant registering after July 27, 2015.
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PLAN NOW FOR THE 2015 ANNUAL CONVENTION
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 The CONVENTION BROCHURE is now available to download, click here.
Click here for Convention reservations at the Marriott Marquis
On-line REGISTRATION for the Annual Convention is now available, click here.
Grab the early bird rate today!
You can register for the full event as well as several
pre-convention activities to help you maximize your trip!
Keep an eye on this link for more information!
The CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS is now open!
The deadline to submit session proposals is April 10th.
#Partnership15
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alliance with the Partnership or visit their website. |
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