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Office of Community Services


Assistant Director: Thomas E. Green
Telephone: (501) 682-8715

The Office of Community Services (OCS), a part of the Division of County Operations, has maintained the unique role of helping to alleviate poverty in the State of Arkansas since its inception in 1965. OCS provides financial resources, training, and technical assistance to community action agencies and other subgrantees through the administration of the:

Community Services Block Grant Program

Emergency Shelter Grants Program

Home Energy Assistance Program

Weatherization Assistance Program


Community Services Block Grant (CSGB)

Contact: Delia Anderson at (501) 682-8719

Eligibility: Based on current OMB poverty income guidelines.

Assistance: Available at the local Community Action Agency

The Community Services Block Grant Program helps low-income persons to become more independent by:

  • Providing a range of services through local community action agencies to enable persons of low-income to become more employable, better educated, better trained to handle their finances, improve their housing, make use of social and human services available to serve them, and to get involved in improving their community.
  • Providing funds to enable low-income persons to get involved in economic development activities.
  • Providing emergency assistance to low-income individuals to recover from non-insured disasters.
  • Providing funds to develop innovative approaches at the state and local levels to meet nutritional needs of low-income individuals.

 

CSBG 2006 State Plan


EMERGENCY SHELTER GRANTS PROGRAM


Contact
: Clorinda Arace  (501) 682-8723

Eligibility: An individual or family which lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.

Assistance: Available at Emergency Shelters  in your area.

The Emergency Shelter Grants Program assists local communities in helping to improve the quality of life for the homeless by:

  • Providing grants for minor renovations, rehabilitation, or conversion of buildings for use as an emergency shelter for the homeless.
  • Providing funds for payment of certain operating and maintenance expenses.
  • Providing funds for essential social services expenses in connection with the operation of emergency shelters for the homeless.
  • Providing Emergency Shelter funds to be used for homeless prevention efforts.

A special enumeration survey was conducted and on any given night, the estimated homeless count in the State of Arkansas is 7,400.


HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (HEAP)


Contact
: Cathy Rowe (501) 682-8726

Eligibility: Based on 125% of current OMB income poverty guidelines for all households for Regular Assistance. Crisis Assistance is based on 125% of current OMB income poverty  guidelines for all households.

Assistance: Available at your local Community Action Agency

The Home Energy Assistance Program helps low-income house-holds with home energy costs by:

Administering the Regular Assistance and Crisis Intervention Programs. Each program provides financial assistance to eligible households with a one-time per year payment to the household's energy supplier or, under certain circumstances, to the applicant. The Crisis Intervention Program only provides assistance to eligible households facing energy-related emergencies.

Home Energy Assistance Program 2006 State Plan

WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Contact: Mae Bishop (501) 682-8722

Eligibility: Income must be at or below 125% of current OMB poverty income guidelines.

Assistance: Applications may be obtained at your local

 Weatherization Subgrantee Office

The Weatherization Assistance Program provides funds to conserve energy in the homes of low-income people, with emphasis on elderly, handicapped, and families with children. An automated energy audit, National Energy Audit (NEAT), is used to determine the most cost effective measures on single frame houses. The Mobile Home Energy Audit (MHEA) is used to determine the most effective measures to be installed on mobile homes:  

Measures installed on single framed houses and multi-family units include:

  • Replace broken windows.
  • Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows.
  • Insulating uninsulated ceilings, walls and floors.
  • Installing storm windows, thermostats and furnace tune-ups.
  • Health and safety measures that are required prior to weatherizing the house.

Measures installed on mobile homes:

  • Replace broken windows.
  • Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows
  • Install thermostats and furnace tune-ups.
  • Health and safety measures that are required prior to weatherizing the mobile home.

Weatherization Assistance Program 2007 State Plan  


  Arkansas Department of Human Services
Slot S330
P.O. Box 1437
Little Rock, AR 72203-1437
(501) 682-8715