Home >> Home Energy Assistance Program 2010 CSBG State Plan (Draft) (pdf) What is CSBG? The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) remains one of the major efforts of the War on Poverty that succeeded several federally administered programs. The CSBG targets individuals and families living in poverty to become self-sufficient, strengthen local communities, and to increase the capacity for Ohioans to create their own opportunities. The State of Ohio administers the CSBG through the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD), Community Development Division (CDD), and Office of Community Services (OCS). CSBG funds are granted to non-profit Community Action Agencies (CAAs). The success of Community Action Programs flows from the historic mission of CAAs to coordinate and link public and private resources and to focus these resources on specific poverty issues at the community level. Who Benefits From CSBG? By Definition, a "low-income" household has income less than 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. In 2009, a family of four making less than $44,100 per year is considered low-income. What Are The Types Of Services CSBG Offers? As authorized by the CSBG Act, funds are expended for a broad range of services; some of which are; employment, education, income management, housing, emergency services, nutrition, and linkages (information and referral, counseling, outreach, senior services and family development). Grantees establish priorities based on assessed needs, and determine the resources available to the CAA. Who Are The Local CSBG Providers? Community Action Agencies were first incorporated with the advent of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. They are locally controlled private nonprofit organizations whose purpose is to reduce poverty and to help low-income people become self-sufficient. There are over 1,100 community action agencies in the United States. Currently, there are fifty-two (52) CAAs in Ohio, with every county receiving service. During the last program year, they administered $482,348,915 of resources aimed at alleviating the problems of poverty in Ohio's Communities. Nationally, Ohio ranks second in the amount of resources developed by its community action network. A list of the Local CSBG Provider is available. The web page shows a map of the state, click on the desired county to see the contact information for the local CSBG Provider. How Do I Apply For CSBG Services? Persons interested in applying for CSBG services or obtaining additional information should contact the Local CSBG Provider in the county where they reside. How Are CSBG Services Reported? In response to the Governmental Performance Review Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Monitoring and Assessment Task Force (MATF) was convened by the Federal Office of Community Services. GPRA required that federally funded programs must demonstrate measurable impacts. The product that resulted from the MATF effort was the Results-Oriented Management for Accountability (ROMA). ROMA is an approach to management that builds accountability into the daily activities of employees and the daily operations of an organization. ROMA is an avenue for organizations to continually evaluate the effectiveness of their programs and plot a course for improvements in agency capacity and performance. ROMA provides a framework for results-based planning and evaluation that is a shared responsibility of federal, state, and local partners. Since 1994, the Community Services Network has been guided by six broad anti-poverty goals established by the MATF. 
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - CSBG State Plan (pdf)