Mission Statement
The Office of Community Services (OCS) partners with states, communities, and agencies to reduce the causes of poverty, increase opportunity and economic security of individuals and families, and revitalize communities. Our social service and community development programs work in a variety of ways to improve the lives of many.
Major Goals
OCS’s main goals are to:
- Serve the economic and social needs of individuals and families with low incomes
- Provide employment and entrepreneurial opportunities
- Promote individual economic opportunity and security through the creation of full-time, permanent jobs;
- Support asset building strategies for individuals and families with low incomes, such as savings, increasing financial capability, and securing assets
- Assist community development corporations in utilizing existing funding for neighborhood revitalization projects
- Provide financial and technical resources to state, local, and public and private agencies for economic development and related social service activities and
- Provide energy assistance to households with low incomes
Programs
The OCS administers seven social service and community development programs. In 2024, this totaled almost $6.65 billion in funding, inclusive of supplemental funding for economic relief and disasters.