The North Dakota Department of Commerce, Division of Community Services has been delegated the responsibility to administer several block grants received by the State of North Dakota, including the Community Services Block Grant.
The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Program's primary purpose is to assist communities in implementing locally designed anti-poverty programs. The CSBG Program, through the state's seven Community Action Agencies (CAAs), provide various services, including emergency assistance, money management and housing counseling, self sufficiency services, case management and outreach and referral services to low income households and persons within their respective regions. The CSBG Program is also closely integrated with the low income weatherization assistance program and various other programs that serve low income people and families.
This program focuses on the reduction of poverty, the revitalization of low income communities, and the empowerment of low income families and individuals in rural and urban areas to become fully self-sufficient (particularly families who are attempting to transition off a State program carried out under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act.) To accomplish those goals, the following objectives were developed:
- the strengthening of community capabilities for planning and coordinating the use of a broad range of Federal, State, local, and other assistance, including private resources, related to the elimination of poverty, so that this assistance can be used in a manner that is responsive to local needs and conditions;
- the organization of a range of services related to the needs of low income families and individuals, so that these services may have a measurable and potentially major impact on the causes of poverty in the community and may help the families and individuals to achieve self-sufficiency;
- the greater use of innovative and effective community-based approaches to attack the causes and effects of poverty and of community breakdown;
- the maximum participation of residents of the low income communities and members of the groups served by programs assisted through the block grants made under this subtitle to empower those residents and members to respond to the unique problems and needs within their communities; and
- the broadening of the resource base of programs directed to the elimination of poverty to secure a more active role in the provision of services for private, religious, charitable, and neighborhood-based organizations, as well as individual citizens, and business, labor, and professional groups who are able to influence the quantity and quality of opportunities and services for the poor.