Community Development CommissionMay 11, 2021

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Community Services Block Grant Programmatic/Financial Report May 11, 2021 The Community Services Block Grant funds the delivery of services to low income Texas residents in all 254 counties. These funds support a variety of direct services in addition to helping maintain the core administrative elements of community action agencies. For the City of Austin, the grant provides funding for the delivery of basic needs, case management, preventive health and employment support services through the City’s six (6) Neighborhood Centers and the three (3) Outreach Sites.  Basic Needs (food, clothing, information and referral, notary services, transportation, car safety education and car seats, tax preparation, Blue Santa applications, fans, Thanksgiving food baskets and other seasonal activities);  Preventive Health (screenings for blood pressure, blood sugar including a1C, and cholesterol; pregnancy testing; health promotion presentations, coordination and participation in health fairs, immunizations, coordination of wellness activities, linkages to medical home providers and diabetes case management);  Case Management (individual/family support counseling, advocacy, self-sufficiency case management, crisis intervention, linkages with employers, educational opportunities and training, and working with individuals on quality of life issues);  Employment Support (intake, assessment and goal setting, job readiness training, job placement assistance, and job retention services) Expenditures Categories 2021 Contract Budget Personnel Fringe Benefits Other Total $704,239.27 $387,277.37 $10,589.36 $1,102,106 Cumulative Expenditures as of 3/31/21 $105,962.39 $47,954.71 $0 $153,917.10 % of Total 15% 12.4% 0% 14% 1 SRV 3O 4 4E 4E 5 5B 5D 4C 4C 4I 5A 5JJ 7A 7B 7D 7N Austin Public Health Report on PY21 Community Action Plan Transition Out of Poverty Goal Goal Achieved TOP Individuals who transitioned out of poverty 43 0 Success Rate% 0% MISSION: To prevent disease, promote health, and protect the well-being of our community. TOP 5 NEEDS: Housing; Health; Employment; Basic Needs; Education Report Date March 2021 FNPI Outcome Description Target #Enrolled #Achieved Success Rate % Housing Households who avoided eviction Households who avoided eviction (CARES ACT) 1200 848 Health and Social/Behavioral Development Individuals who demonstrated improved physical health and well being Individuals who improved skills related to the adult role of parents/caregivers Service Description Number Served #Enrolled #Achieved Success Rate % 50 50 0 19 848 51 5,191 27 848 2 100 848 0 19 Tax Preparation Programs Rent Payments Rent Payments (Cares Act) Utility Payments Immunizations Food Distribution Case Management Eligibility Determinations Transportation Emergency Clothing 3A.1 Total number of volunteer hours donated to the Agency Programmatic/Administrative Updates 1. Neighborhood Services Unit Vacancies – None. 2. CDC Nomination/Selection (Elections) Spring 2021 – Worked with the Responsible Organizations to conduct these nomination/selection meetings. With the assistance of 100% 100% 2 Housing & Planning Department (HPD) staff and the responsible organizations we facilitated the elections and filled the Montopolis, Colony Park, Dove Springs, East Austin, Rosewood Zaragosa, South Austin and North Austin CDC Seats. The St. John seat remains vacant. A Nomination/Selection meeting for the St. John seat will be held in June. 3. Neighborhood Services – Due to the City of Austin’s COVID-19 response and safety measures our Neighborhood Centers were closed to the public at 6pm on March 16, 2020. We are now offering Food Pantry Curbside by appt. only services. We continue to process Emergency Rental assistance applications in collaboration with the Austin Area Urban League. We were just awarded $93,522.00 in CSBG Discretionary Funds allocated for rental assistance. 4. Community Needs Assessment – Woollard Nichols & Associates will present their CNA findings following my report today. They were hired to conduct the NSU Community Needs Assessment. Community Needs Assessments are an integral part of a Subrecipient’s planning and are to be used to set the direction for their work. Section 676(b)(11), of the CSBG Act states “...an assurance that the State will secure from each eligible entity in the State…a community action plan…that includes a community needs assessment for the community served, which may be coordinated with community needs assessments conducted for other programs….” 5. CARES ACT CSBG Funding - The Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs (TDHCA) has awarded the Neighborhood Services Unit CARES ACT CSBG funds with the purpose of assisting eligible clients with COVID-19 related needs such as rental assistance through July 31, 2021. In November we began working with the Austin Area Urban League to begin processing financial assistance payments for eligible clients. Through February we assisted 301 Households and processed $695,527.06 in rent assistance payments. 6. Austin Energy Plus 1 Program – Serious illness, a recent job loss, or a pandemic can make it difficult for some customers to pay their utility bills. The Plus 1 fund helps by providing emergency financial aid to customers who are having a temporary problem paying their utility bills. We continue to assist clients with utility assistance using these funds. Some good news: we have been awarded an additional $46,551 Plus 1 funds, effective immediately. Success Story To celebrate Social Worker Month, the Neighborhood Services Unit successfully partnered with the Health Equity Task Force and the Central Texas Food Bank on 2 Drive-Thru PPE Distribution Events in April. 3 A total of 1,006 Households were served with emergency food boxes and water. Staff worked hard to distribute a total of 27 pallets of food, 16 pallets of water and 815 PPE bags (4 masks, a 16 oz gel hand sanitizer in each and flyers promoting the Neighborhood Services Unit). The events took place in the parking lots of the East Austin Neighborhood Center and the Montopolis Neighborhood Center. 4