News
April 10, 2009
harkin announces more than $10.8 million in recovery act funding for community services block grants
Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced today that $10,821,398 in Community Service Block Grants (CSBG) will come to Iowa from the Department of Health and Human Services as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Economic Recovery Package. The CSBG program is a nationwide network of community action agencies that fight poverty by providing services that help low-income people gain the skills, knowledge and motivation they need to become self-sufficient. The CSBG program also provides low-income people with immediate life necessities such as food, shelter, health care and more.
“Due to the recent economic crisis, many people are in need of services to help them find a job and get back on their feet,” said Harkin. “These funds provide essential services to combat poverty at a time when so many Americans are struggling to make ends meet. By providing these additional funds, we can ensure people are getting the help they need in the short-term, while gaining the skills they need for the long-term.”
The funding for Iowa is part of $1 billion in new CSBG funds provided by the Economic Recovery Package. These funds are in addition to CSBG’s regular annual operating budget of approximately $700 million.
