VACAP Expansion

Expansion Overview

Beginning in January of 2007, the Virginia Community Action Partnership (VACAP) hosted a series of meetings between existing community action agencies and the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) to discuss the federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to the designation of expanding community action agencies, the possible cost of expanding community action services throughout the state, and how expansion could and should occur.

During these meetings and discussions, Virginia’s CAA network reached consensus on the following points:

  1. expansion of community action services to the entire state would benefit not only low-income residents in unserved communities, but also the entire community action network in Virginia;
  2. in order to accomplish statewide coverage of community action services, priority should be given to the expansion of existing CAAs, after which the process should be opened to all organizations;
  3. sufficient funding must be appropriated to ensure the existing network would not lose funding and be forced to reduce services in the communities already being served.
Community action services and programs are designed to address the causes and conditions of poverty, support local community and economic development efforts, and provide low-income citizens with opportunities to build assets and become economically self sufficient. Virginia is one of only three states in the nation that does not have statewide coverage of community action programs and services. With 30% of local jurisdictions (counties and cities) in Virginia unserved, 42 jurisdictions and the 175,773 low-income persons (2000 Census) who reside there do not have access to community action.

The VDSS, working in coordination with VACAP, is recommending a two-year plan for expanding community action programs and services into jurisdictions currently unserved by community action agencies. The cost of expanding into Virginia's 42 unserved jurisdictions is estimated at $6.6 million. It is further estimated that statewide expansion of community action agency services will over time leverage an additional $30 million per year in other federal, state, local, and private resources that will result in an additional 29,000 low-income citizens being served each year by members of the Virginia Community Action Partnership.

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VDSS Expansion Report

The Community Action Statewide Expansion Report describes the two-year plan for expanding community action programs and services into jurisdictions currently unserved by community action agencies in Virginia. The implementation of the recommendations within the report would ensure that all low-income citizens have access to community action services and programs which are designed to address local needs and service gaps with the goal of eliminating the causes and conditions of poverty in Virginia.

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Funding Needs for Expansion

The two-year plan for expanding community action programs and services into jurisdictions currently unserved by community action agencies is estimated to cost $6.6 million. Of that total cost, $2.2 million in additional funding will be needed in year one of the biennium (July 1, 2008), with an additional $4.4 million needed in year two of the biennium (July 1, 2009.) It is estimated that statewide expansion of community action agency services will over time leverage an additional $30 million per year in other federal, state, local, and private resources that will result in an additional 29,000 low-income citizens being served each year by Virginia’s community action network.

It is important to note that unless additional funding is earmarked for this purpose, then expansion of community action services into all 42 unserved jurisdictions would result in a 30% reduction in the existing network’s Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) contract amounts. This would in turn lead to significant reductions in and/or the elimination of essential services and programs currently being provided by the network.

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Draft Letter for Expansion Funding Support

Recognizing the needed for additional funding, VACAP proposed a draft letter of expansion support to the Virginia Governor. The letter is a rough draft intended to be used by the VACAP member agencies to encourage the Governor to provide additional funding for community action expansion throughout all of Virginia.

» Download the Draft Support Letter

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Talking Points

VACAP has endorsed a set of six suggested talking points regarding the 2008-2010 community action budget request. The suggested talking points are as follows:

  • There are 26 Community Action Agencies that serve 92 jurisdictions within the Commonwealth, and three statewide agencies that serve specific needs. However, the low-income residents in 42 jurisdictions have no access to services provided by a Community Action Agency. There are 174,322 Virginians living below the poverty line who have no Community Action Agency to help them achieve selfsufficiency.
  • Virginia is one of only three states in the nation whose cities and counties are not fully served by a Community Action Agency.
  • Community Action Agencies in Virginia have demonstrated ability to create a wide range of educational, employment, housing, crisis intervention, community and economic development opportunities that lead to family economic stability for hundreds of thousands of Virginia’s poorest citizens.
  • Community Action Agencies have a huge positive economic impact in the jurisdictions they serve. The 26 agencies annually leverage $15 million in federal and state Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) allocations into a combined $121 million local Community Action Agency budget with an economic impact of $217 million. We estimate that 10% of this revenue ends up being paid in state and local taxes. This impact does not include the contribution of 725,000 hours of volunteer service by more than 25,000 citizens, whose dollar value is conservatively estimated at $3.7 million dollars.
  • DSS recommends that statewide expansion occur over a phased-in, two-year period. It is estimated that it will cost up to an additional $2.2 million to provide community action service for the initial expansion in 2008-2009, and up to an additional $4.4 million to provide services for all jurisdictions in the Commonwealth during 2009-2010.
  • VACAP respectfully requests that you express to the Governor your support for community action, and urge him to include sufficient funds in his budget for community action programs so that services can be provided to Virginians in these un-served areas.
» Download The Talking Points (PDF)

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Accomplishments of VACAP Member Agencies

The results and outcomes achieved by the VACAP member agencies are impressive and provide support for the benefits of community action. The following is partial list of outcomes/results achieved during the 2006 fiscal year.

  • 7,694 low-income children and their families received Head Start services from programs administered by 21 Virginia Community Action Agencies (CAAs).
  • 3,582 safe and affordable housing units were improved or preserved through new construction, weatherization services, home repair, and housing rehabilitation programs administered by 23 Virginia CAAs.
  • 1,509 individuals received volunteer income tax preparation assistance resulting in over $831,000 in federal and state tax credits, including Earned Income Tax Credits.
  • Over 32,000 households were provided with emergency assistance in the form of fuel, utility, and rent/mortgage payments.
  • 17,915 individuals were provided with emergency food.
  • 1,898 families were provided temporary emergency shelter.
  • 863 children were served by before and after school child care programs administered by 11 Virginia CAAs, services that enabled their parents to obtain or maintain employment.
  • 1,331 families were provided counseling, assistance, and protection against domestic/family violence.
  • 2,900 ex-offenders were provided counseling, case management, employment services, and emergency assistance as they were released from Virginia prisons.
  • Over 2,000 low-income and first generation youth participated in Project Discovery programs administered by 18 CAAs, services designed to prepare and secure admission to post-secondary educational institutions.
  • 841 at-risk youth participated in programs designed to improve their social, emotional, and academic success.
  • 867 partnership agreements with other community organizations were executed by Virginia CAAs in order to improve or maintain effective community service delivery systems and prevent duplication of services.
By expanding into Virginia's 42 unserved counties and cities, VACAP member agencies will be able to offer similar programs and services to all Virginias. The statewide expansion of community action services in Virginia is truly an investment in the Commonwealth’s economic vitality and quality of life.

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Documents Related to VACAP Expansion

» VDSS Expansion Report (PDF) | » Funding Support Letter - DRAFT (MS WORD)
» Expansion Talking Points (PDF) | » MAP of Served / Unserved Jurisdictions (PDF)
» Expansion Funding Update

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