What We Do

Current as of:

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.

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Affordable Housing and Supportive Services Demonstration (AHSSD)

AHSSD strengthens supportive services for residents of affordable housing to build individual and family safety, stability, and economic mobility.

 

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Community Economic Development (CED)

The CED program are discretionary grants that are awarded to nonprofit community development corporations in disinvested communities for purposes of creating new jobs for individuals with low-income, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients.

 

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Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)

The CSBG supports services designed to ameliorate the causes and conditions of poverty by assisting individuals and families with low-incomes and communities with services based on local needs (i.e., employment, education, and adequate housing).

 

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Diaper Distribution Demonstration and Research Pilot (DDDRP)

DDDRP expands existing networks to connect caregivers with diapers for their children and support services that increase economic mobility.

 

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Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

LIHEAP provides funds to states, tribes and tribal organizations, and territories to assist households with low-incomes in meeting their home energy costs.

 

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Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP)

LIHWAP helps families keep the water on by helping households with low incomes lower their water and wastewater bills.

 

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Medical-Legal Partnerships Plus (MLP+)

MLP+ supports medical-legal partnerships to expand and strengthen legal services and wraparound social services for people with low incomes.

 

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Rural Community Development (RCD)

The RCD provides discretionary grants to assist low-income communities in developing affordable and safe water and wastewater treatment facilities. RCD increases economic opportunities for low-income rural communities by ensuring they have basic water and sanitation, utilize technical assistance to leverage additional public and private resources, and promote improved coordination of federal, state, and local agencies and financing programs to benefit low-income communities.

 

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Social Services Block Grant (SSBG)

The SSBG provides funding to states to increase economic self-sufficiency, prevent or address neglect, abuse, or the exploitation of children and adults, prevent or reduce inappropriate institutionalization, and secure referrals for institutional care, where appropriate.