Through a statewide network of seventeen Community Action Agencies in Maryland, the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program supports a range of direct services designed to assist low-income individuals and families with achieving self-sufficiency.
Donor Name: Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
State: Maryland
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 05/13/2022
Details:
Under the CSBG Act, the state may utilize five percent of the federal allocation as discretionary funding to support activities and programs conducted by Community Action Agencies or other non-profit organizations to eliminate poverty, promote self-sufficiency, and stimulate community revitalization. Additionally, the funds may be used to provide training and technical assistance and to support coordination and communication among Community Action Agencies.
Eligible Activities
The services and activities provided by CSBG Eligible Entities must serve low-income persons in urban and rural areas throughout the State who have incomes at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines. In most cases, the services are provided through a one-stop service delivery system.
Services and activities may include:
- Housing, to include assistance with acquiring permanent housing, and assisting with self-help housing
- Head Start education for youth
- Nutrition programs, including food distribution
- Transportation programs that include transporting clients to medical facilities
- Employment services
- Emergency services include providing shelter and energy assistance to low-income persons
Eligibility Criteria
- Maryland’s seventeen designated Community Action Agencies are eligible to apply for the 90 percent of CSBG funds allocated annually by the federal government. Community Action Agencies must have a board of directors in which one-third are elected public officials currently holding office or their designees; at least one-third are chosen by a democratic selection method designed to assure that they will represent low-income persons in the community, and the remainder are officials or members of business, industry, labor, religious, welfare, education, or other major groups and interests in the community. Community Action Agencies provide services in all twenty-three Maryland counties and the City of Baltimore.
- Community Action Agencies, non-profit organizations, and units of local government that serve or target low-income individuals and families at or below 125% of poverty, and nonprofit organizations or units of local government who support and serve Community Action Agencies (CAAs) are eligible to apply for CSBG discretionary funding. The eligible applicant’s proposed program must display measurable outcomes that help families and individuals move toward self-sufficiency.
For more information, visit Community Services Block Grant Program.
