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Costa Leads Bipartisan Group to Modernize Anti-Poverty Grants

March 27, 2015

Legislation strengthens community-based efforts to fight poverty

Washington, D.C. –Congressman Jim Costa was joined by Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN), and 5 other Members of Congress in introducing the Community Economic Opportunity Act of 2015. The bipartisan legislation would reauthorize the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) program which supports more than 1,000 non-profit Community Action Agencies tasked with serving economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. The CSBG was last reauthorized in 1998.

"The Community Service Block Grant Act (CSBG) provides critical assistance to local efforts aimed at reducing poverty and expanding economic opportunity for all," said Rep. Costa. "My district is home to a number of Community Action Agencies including the Merced County Community Action Agency, the Community Action Partnership of Madera County, and Central Valley Opportunity Center. Additionally, we have one of the largest Community Action Agencies in the nation, the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission, which is celebrating 50 years of serving the people of our Valley. By increasing access to locally-needed services such as child care, job training, housing, and financial education, CSBG tackles poverty, empowers our communities and improves self-sufficiency."

"Today in Fresno County, the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) is essential to the Fresno EOC response to the drought, for innovation, for providing educational, employment and training opportunities, for empowering residents, and for investing in the financing of new and emerging businesses," said Brian Angus, CEO of Fresno EOC.

"CSBG is the funding that allows Merced County Community Action Agency to provide innovative approaches to addressing poverty in our community. Not a one size fits all approach, but one that specifically targets the needs in Merced County and leads to higher numbers of people lifting themselves out of poverty and into self-sufficiency," said Brenda Callahan-Johnson,Executive Director of Merced County Community Action Agency. "Congressman Costa understands the needs of the poor in Merced County and knows that we only succeed if we all work together towards solutions. CSBG funds make finding effective solutions to combating poverty possible."

"CSBG funding provides a wealth of assistance to the programs and services offered through CAPMC in Madera County. The funding supports programs such as parenting classes, low-income energy assistance, and Community Needs Assessments to aid the low income population in becoming more self-sufficient. One such program provides the agency the capability to match HUD funding in order to shelter and provide much needed services to 15 chronically homeless women who would otherwise be out in the streets of Madera County," said Mattie Mendez, Executive Director of Community Action Partnership of Madera County.

"CVOC has operated the CSBG grant in Stanislaus, Merced and Madera counties for many years. With those grants we are able to assist low income persons with emergency services such as housing, utility bill assistance, clothing and food. We are also able to provide low income persons in our service area with vocational training, GED classes and ESL classes to better prepare them for jobs that will provide year round employment. Our CSBG grants help us provide valuable services to approximately 5,000 migrant and seasonal farm workers, and other low income persons per year," said Ernie Flores,
Executive Director of
Central Valley Opportunity Center.

Ninety percent of CSBG funds go directly to local communities to provide critical services such as child care, job training, housing, and financial education that improve self-sufficiency. The results of these programs have allowed local organizations to leverage nearly $2.30 in private capital from every dollar that the federal government invests in CSBG.