Don't Compromise the Future: Community Action Is the Nation's Best Hope to 'Win the Future'

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association for State Community Services Programs (NASCSP) believes that President Obama's decision to cut funding for community action programs will hinder, rather than help, our nation's economic recovery.

During his State of the Union address President Obama singled out community action programs, saying, "This freeze will require painful cuts. I've proposed cuts to things I care deeply about, like community action programs." Although he insisted that we're not making cuts "on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens," we believe cuts to community action programs do just that.

The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), which funds Community Action, is the federal government's only comprehensive approach to addressing the needs of vulnerable citizens and help struggling Americans get the services they need to and achieve economic security. Last year community action programs provided critical supports such as employment, education and housing to 20.7 million vulnerable Americans, representing nearly 1 in 4 people in poverty.  Sadly this includes 7.3 million children and seniors.

Community action programs, funded by CSBG created and retained 18,432 jobs, ranked 8th out of approximately 200 Recovery Act federal programs. "Slashing a program with a proven track record of creating jobs, education opportunities, and economic security harms our most vulnerable citizens. Deep spending cuts and a balanced budget won't result in economic recovery if our most vulnerable citizens still can't acquire new skills, find work, and take care of their families. We need a sophisticated strategy like Community Action that brings the economic recovery home to all Americans," said Stephen Payne, President of NASCSP's Board of Directors and Director of the Washington Department of Commerce, Community Services and Housing Division.

Community action programs, a state administered approach, provide a broad strategic framework and create a seamless, efficient, and effective delivery system for what would otherwise be a disparate collection of isolated State and Federal programs. Cuts in community action programs means a decrease in capacity for other State and Federal programs - most notably, the Weatherization Assistance Program which works to improve the energy efficiency of low-income homes using the most advanced technologies in the housing industry. The energy conservation resulting from the efforts of State and local agencies helps our country reduce its dependence on foreign oil and decrease energy costs, which the President stated he was committed to.  

All across the nation, CSBG-funded projects help "win the future" for all Americans by moving them toward economic security.

NASCSP is a professional association whose members are state administrators of the Department of Health and Human Services' Community Services Block Grant and the U.S. Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program.

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SOURCE National Association for State Community Services Programs