CSBG Funds for Mortgage Payment Assistance 

On August 9, the Office of Community Services (OCS) released Information Memorandum (IM) CSBG-IM-2022-163 Use of CSBG Funds for Mortgage Payment Assistance to provide guidance on the use of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funding for mortgage payment assistance. The IM was issued in response to inquiries regarding the use of CSBG funds for mortgage payment assistance for program beneficiaries. The IM clarifies that while Section 678F of the CSBG Act prohibits CSBG grant recipients from acquiring or improving property, CSBG grant recipients and eligible entities can use their funds to help a program beneficiary pay their mortgage costs as long as the beneficiary meets the CSBG eligibility requirements, and this assistance aligns with an approved Tribal Plan. 

Grant recipients have substantial discretion in defining the procedures for determining if an individual or family meets the eligibility requirements for CSBG, including the timeframes for review and necessary documentation appropriate to provide services. In response to emergency situations, grant recipients may consider circumstances where individuals may have become low income as a result of the emergency and may establish appropriate procedures based on the nature of the emergency in conjunction with the identified needs of the individual applying for services. (See CSBG IM 157, “Immediate Guidance on COVID-19 Response”). 

For complete information, please review the Information Memorandum, contact your OCS Program Specialist, or the Tribal TTA team at tribalta@luxcg.com.  

• CSBG-IM-2022-163 Use of CSBG Funds for Mortgage Payment Assistance

OCS Guidance & Resources on CARES Funds 

The Goal: 100% of CSBG and CARES Act funds invested in Tribal communities to meet the needs of low-income individuals and families, as well as the organizations that serve them.

While some grant recipients have already obligated and/or spent all of their CARES funding, it is imperative that all of the remaining CSBG CARES funds are obligated by the September 30, 2022 deadline. Coordination with Tribal fiscal staff is important to ensure remaining CSBG CARES Act supplemental funding is obligated by the September 30 deadline and expended.

The Office of Community Services (OCS) released Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) CSBG-DCL-2022-43 on August 4 to provide additional guidance and resources to help CSBG grant recipients effectively utilize their remaining CARES Act funds. OCS and the national TTA partners continue to encourage the CSBG Network to explore innovative ideas and uses for the remaining CSBG CARES funds. With an explicit and overarching goal of reducing poverty, the flexibility of CSBG provides significant opportunities to meet immediate community needs. The flexibility of CSBG extends to CARES funding, meaning Tribal grant recipients can support a broad array of services for the prevention, preparation, and response to COVID-19. 

Here are four steps Tribal grant recipients can take today:

1. Contact the CSBG Tribal TTA Team at tribalta@luxcg.com or 301-325-3557 for 1:1 support. We are happy to review allowable expenditures and talk through the possibilities with you.
2. Download the slide deck from the Maximizing the Impact of CSBG Regular & CARES Act Supplemental Funding webinar for quick tips and ideas.
3. Watch the Maximizing the Impact of CSBG Regular & CARES Act Supplemental Funding webinar recording for complete details and examples from the CSBG Tribal Network.
4. Review NCAP's Strategies to Transition to Pandemic Recovery Fact Sheet

• Consumer Supports - food, school supplies, transportation - gas, car repairs/maintenance, and public transportation cards
• Children & Youth Activities - summer camps, sports, culture & arts camps, language schools, and scholarships
• Emergency/Crisis Assistance - collaborations with LIHEAP, LIHWAP, ERA
• Employment and Job Training - enhanced childcare access to support employment, collaboration with other programs, training enrollment fees
• Health and Wellness Activities - doctor visit co-pays, transportation expenses, 
• Housing - rent, mortgage and utility assistance, and repairs
• Organizational Capacity - training, support, organizational preparedness, upgrading policies and procedures
• Pop Up Events - food distribution, baby items, school supplies
• Tribal Small Business Supports - PPE to childcare centers/homes, coaching to low-income entrepreneurs, and mentorship programs
• Technology - improved capacity for organization, families, and students
• Community/Client Engagement - Pay low-income clients or independent contractor to hold focus groups to assess post-pandemic needs, conduct door-to-door community outreach campaigns, or establish robust client advisory groups

For 1:1 TTA support, contact the CSBG Tribal TTA Team at tribalta@luxcg.com or 301-325-3557.

• CSBG-DCL-2022-43 Expending CSBG CARES Funds FY 2022

• Maximizing the Impact of CSBG Regular & CARES Act Supplemental Funding Workshop Page

• Maximizing the Impact of CSBG Regular & CARES Act Supplemental Funding Session Recording

• Maximizing the Impact of CSBG Regular & CARES Act Supplemental Funding Session Slides (PDF)

• NCAP CSBG CARES Spending Network Conversation Webinar

• NCAP National Partners Webinar on CARES Spending

FY23 CSBG Application Reminder & FAQs Webinar is Now Available!

FY 2023 CSBG Application Season TTA information, tools, and resources can be found on the CSBG Tribal Online Resource Center, including the live FY 2023 CSBG Tribal Plan & Application Information Session recording, FY 2023 CSBG Tribal Plan & Application Fillable-PDF Tool, FY 2023 CSBG Tribal Plan & Application Instructions Training Webinar, FY 2023 Application Reminder & FAQs Webinar, and Step-by-Step OLDC Instructions for FY 2023 CSBG Tribal Plan & Application Submission. 

Please remember — All CSBG Tribal grant recipients must submit an updated SF-424M form and funding application every year by September 1, including those with a two-year CSBG Tribal Plan, unless otherwise directed under a P.L. 102-477 agreement. 

The CSBG Tribal TTA Team is happy to support all aspects of your CSBG Tribal Plan & Application process. Please feel free to contact us at tribalta@luxcg.com or (301) 244-3557.

• FY 2023 CSBG Tribal Plan & Application Information Session

• FY 2023 CSBG Tribal Plan & Application Fillable-PDF Tool

• FY 2023 CSBG Tribal Plan & Application Instructions Training Webinar

• FY 2023 Application Reminders & FAQs Webinar

• Step-by-Step OLDC Instructions for FY 2023 CSBG Tribal Plan & Application Submission

8/29: Diaper Distribution Demonstration and Research Pilot Funding Opportunity

The Office of Community Services (OCS) informed the CSBG Network of the forecast posting for the Diaper Distribution Demonstration and Research Pilot (DDDRP). We are pleased to announce the full DDDRP Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is now posted: HHS-2022-ACF-OCS-EDA-0161. This NOFO closes on Monday, August 29, 2022 as the funds must be awarded no later than Friday, September 30, 2022.

Please note that eligible applicants for this pilot program are limited to Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) state associations, Tribes funded directly by CSBG in FY 2022, and CSBG-funded territories. While Community Action Agencies, nonprofits, and other community-based organizations are not directly eligible to apply for the funding opportunity, applicants will be encouraged to form partnerships with these types of community-based organizations.

Currently there are delays in processing System for Award Management (SAM) registrations and renewals. If your SAM registration is due for renewal soon, we encourage you to submit your renewal as soon as possible to avoid delays in receiving an award, should your application be selected for award.

If you have any questions about this funding opportunity, please submit them to OCSGRANT@acf.hhs.gov.

• Diaper Distribution Demonstration and Research Pilot Funding Opportunity

HHS Annual Regional Tribal Consultations

The 2022 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Annual Regional Tribal Consultation sessions will be held virtually and in-person, with an opportunity to provide written testimony to HHS by e-mail. These sessions are designed for Tribal leaders to have the opportunity to address HHS on how HHS can improve Tribal outreach and coordination, and to discuss programmatic and policy issues and concerns with Tribes.

The Tribal Consultation remaining dates are:

• August 16–17, 2022: HHS Region 6
• August 22–24, 2022: HHS Region 10

More information and registration links for each region can be found in the Dear Tribal Leader letter.

• Dear Tribal Leader: HHS Annual Regional Tribal Consultation Sessions

8/22 - 8/26: World Water Week

The Office of Community Services (OCS) released Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) OCS-DCL-2022-14 announcing that OCS will host the second annual series of events in observance of World Water Week, August 22 - 26, 2022. Each day, from 2:00pm-3:30pm Eastern, you will be able to hear from a wide array of grant recipients, water and wastewater experts, and environmental justice and climate change activists.

Join the Office of Community Services (OCS) and many special guests for a five-day virtual series, The Unseen Value of Water, in the second annual obesrvance of World Water Week.

OCS World Water Week 2022 Agenda:

Monday, August 22, 2022 – Panelists will examine how the availability, affordability, and accessibility of water intersect with ongoing environmental justice efforts, and climate change.

Tuesday, August 23, 2022 – Panelists will connect the Native Nation phrase Mní Wičóni (m'NEE wee-CHOH-nee), Water is Life, with the perspectives of spirituality, law, policy, and activism.

Wednesday, August 24, 2022 – Panelists will discuss the real-life impact of the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) and Rural Community Development (RCD) program; spotlight 1 new LIHWAP video & 1 new RDV video.

Thursday, August 25, 2022 – Panelists will discuss direct wastewater service provider experience and partnership with the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP).

Friday, August 26, 2022 – Panelists will take you with them on a live-to-tape site visit to Ellendale, DE and Lowndes County, AL to visit the homes of individuals assisted by RCD grant recipients.

Thank you for the commitment to the Office of Community Services, and the service to individuals, children and families in communities across the nation.

• OCS-DCL-2022-14 Save the date-World Water Week FY 2022

• World Water Week Save the Date Card FY 2022

8/31 - 9/2: NCAP 2022 Annual Convention

Register Today! The NCAP Annual Convention will be held August 31 - September 2, 2022 in New York City, NY. The convention will be designed to provide Community Action Agency professionals and Tribal grant recipients the latest policy and programmatic updates as well as management and governance tools. Special emphasis will be placed on effective strategies for transforming communities and changing the lives of Community Action customers.

Tribal grant recipients are being offered a discounted NCAP member rate. The discount code "EARLYBIRD1" will ensure the member rate is received throughout the registration timeline. For information on how to create an account in NCAP's new association management system/register for the convention, please visit the conference webpage, and scroll down to the “Registration” section.

Key topic areas will include: COVID-19 Response, Presidential and Administrative Policy Shifts, Head Start Administrative and Programmatic Best Practices, Social Enterprise, Performance Management and Measurement, Racial Equity, Two Gen Approaches to Ending Poverty, Human Resource Management, Fiscal Management, Leadership Skill Development, Agency Transformation, Energy, Climate Change, and Advocacy.

• NCAP 2022 Annual Convention

Advancing the Response to COVID-19 Blog Series

The HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) is committed to advancing the response to COVID-19 in racial and ethnic minority communities. In September 2020, OMH hosted a virtual symposium highlighting state, tribal, territorial, and community-based efforts to address COVID-19 among racial and ethnic minorities and American Indian and Alaska Native populations.

In this five-part blog series, OMH follows up with some of the virtual symposium presenters to learn how they have continued to make positive impacts in the communities they serve during the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic.  

• Sharing Promising Programs and Practices for Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities Virtual Symposium

• OMH Five-Part Blog Series

8/18: Back to School, Back to Work: Navigating Financial Assistance for Children & Families

The reality many working families are facing today is needing childcare and/or financial assistance in order to return to work. The Pacific Region TTA Center will hold a webinar to connect Native families with affordable, Native-led childcare and other early educational opportunities, provide local resources that can reduce the cost of school lunches and outline other family assistance funding and programs available to your community provided under the various ACF program offices. If you are interested in learning more about these services, please register today and join the webinar on August 18 at 3:00pm Eastern.

• Pacific Region TTA Center

• Back to School, Back to Work: Navigating Financial Assistance for Children and Families Webinar Registration

Upcoming Funding Opportunities

Please visit our Funding Opportunities webpage for information about the following funding opportunities in addition to other currently available and ongoing funding opportunities. A few application deadlines are fast approaching.

• Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge (RPIC), Application Deadline: 8/15/2022
• EDA’s Indigenous Communities Program, Application Deadline: 9/30/2022

Tribal CSBG COVID-19 Resources & Support

The CSBG Tribal TTA Program is maintaining a CSBG Tribal Network COVID-19 Latest News & Resources page on our website. All posts are also forwarded to the CSBG Tribal Network. Please subscribe to receive email notifications. 

In addition, please feel free to contact the Tribal TTA Team at tribalta@luxcg.com and (301) 244-3557, or contact OCS Program Specialist, Isaac Davis at isaac.davis@acf.hhs.gov and (202) 401-5335, with any questions. We are happy to support you!

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Job Opportunities @ Lux
Tribal Training & Technical Assistance Program

As we grow and expand our training and technical assistance support for Tribes and Tribal Organizations, we are seeking candidates to join our Lux Tribal Training & Technical Assistance (TTA) Team! Please feel free to share with your colleagues.

• Explore Job Opportunities