RD183 - Report on the Statewide Expansion of Community Action Services in Virginia


Executive Summary:
Virginia is one of only three states in the nation that does not have statewide coverage of community action programs and services. With 30% of local jurisdictions (counties and cities) in Virginia unserved, 42 jurisdictions and the 175,773 low-income persons (2000 Census) who reside there do not have access to a comprehensive menu of services and programs designed to address the causes and conditions of poverty, support local community and economic development efforts, and provide their low-income citizens with opportunities to build assets and become economically selfsufficient.

This report describes a two-year plan for expanding community action programs and services into jurisdictions currently unserved by community action agencies at a cost of $6.6 million. Of that total cost, $2.2 million in additional funding will be needed in year one of the biennium (July 1, 2008), with an additional $4.4 million needed in year two of the biennium (July 1, 2009.) It is estimated that statewide expansion of community action agency services will over time leverage an additional $30 million per year in other federal, state, local, and private resources that will result in an additional 29,000 low-income citizens being served each year by Virginia’s community action network.

It is important to note that unless additional funding is earmarked for this purpose, then expansion of community action services into all 42 unserved jurisdictions would result in a 30% reduction in the existing network’s Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) contract amounts. This would in turn lead to significant reductions in and/or the elimination of essential services and programs currently being provided by that network.