Title
Approve and authorize the Director of the Department of Social Services, in the capacity as the Executive Director of the Monterey County Community Action Partnership and the Chair of the Board of Supervisors to sign the completed Community Action Plan document to submit to the California Department of Community Services and Development for calendar years 2024-2025 establishing Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funded service priorities for the low-income community based on a biennial county-wide community needs assessment.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Approve and authorize the Director of the Department of Social Services, in the capacity as the Executive Director of the Monterey County Community Action Partnership and the Chair of the Board of Supervisors to sign the completed Community Action Plan document to submit to the California Department of Community Services and Development for calendar years 2024-2025 establishing Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funded service priorities for the low-income community based on a biennial county-wide community needs assessment.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The Monterey County Community Action Plan (Plan) provides the Monterey County Community Action Partnership (MCCAP) with service priorities, goals, outcome objectives, and strategies to address the needs of the low-income population in Monterey County for calendar years (CY) 2024 through 2025. The Plan is required by the California Department of Community Services and Development (CSD) to receive the annual Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) federal funding allocation. CSBG funds are used to provide services to low-income people in Monterey County living below the federal poverty level. County-generated Homeless Funds and Domestic Violence Trust Funds are also under the auspices of the Community Action Partnership and planning for allocation of these funds is included in the Plan.
The Plan is a two-year strategic guide that describes how the MCCAP complies with federal and state mandates, details specific goals, outcome objectives, service delivery strategies, and evaluation procedures. It emphasizes close coordination with public assistance programs within the Department of Social Services (DSS) as well as other evidence-based community programs to assist in delivery of supportive services to help low-income families attain and maintain self-sufficiency. The Plan emphasizes the importance of community collaboration and reflects the best available program information based on the Community Action Partnership’s planning process. For the CY 2024-2025 Plan, the process included a comprehensive community needs assessment which gathered input from targeted low-income sectors of the County of Monterey to determine the top consumer identified service needs and a robust literature review which included data from other local, state and federal assessments on a wide variety of issues identified as impactful to the causes and conditions of poverty.
Funding for these service needs is distributed based on local poverty rates to community providers through a formal request for proposal process and possible sole source subcontracts serving the four major regions of the County (Salinas, South County, North County, and Monterey Peninsula) tentatively scheduled to be released in late summer/fall 2024. The Plan assumes the CY 2024-2025 resources will remain at the current funding level. All fiscal resources indicated in the Plan are subject to final appropriation by local, state, and federal funding sources.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
CSD established the format of the biennial community action plan. The Community Action Commission (CAC) endorsed the plan at the May 15, 2023 CAC meeting. DSS concurs with the proposed service priorities. The Plan includes assurances required by CSBG federal regulations and respective government codes pertaining to coordination between anti-poverty programs, the CalWORKs Employment Services program, and the Workforce Development Board, and assures minimum service requirements.
FINANCING:
This is a planning document only. There is no impact to the County General Fund.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
This Agreement correlates to the Health & Human Services Strategic Initiative adopted by the Board of Supervisors by working towards the goals of improving health and quality of life outcomes by providing supporting services to very low-income individuals and families.
Check the related Board of Supervisors Strategic Initiatives:
Economic Development
Administration
X Health & Human Services
Infrastructure
Public Safety
Prepared by: Alex Soltero, MAII, x3584
Approved by: Lori A. Medina, Director, x4430
Attachment: MCCAP Community Action Plan 2024-2025
Signature Page - Wet Signature Required
The proposed agreement is on file with Clerk of the Board as an attachment to this Board Report.