ACF-OCS-CSBG-AT-25-03 Disaster Supplemental Phase 3 Application Guidance
Community Services Block Grant
Action Transmittal
AT#: ACF-OCS-CSBG-AT-25-03
DATE: November 1, 2024
TO: CSBG States
SUBJECT: CSBG Disaster Supplemental Phase 3 Application: Longer Term Recovery Grants
ATTACHMENT(S): CSBG Disaster Supplemental Phase 3 Grant Application Tool, CSBG Fiona-Disaster Supplemental Allotment Table, CSBG Disaster Supplemental Naming Convention, SF424_Mandatory_3_0
RELATED REFERENCES
Community Services Block Grant Act, U.S.C. 9901 et seq.; Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law No: 117-328); Department of Health and Human Services Block Grant Regulations 45 C.F.R. Part 96 and CSBG Information Memorandum No. 164.
PURPOSE
To provide instructions and the application requirements for the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Disaster Supplemental for Hurricanes Fiona and Ian, for Longer Term Recovery grants. Applications are due on Friday, November 22, 2024.
BACKGROUND
The Office of Community Services (OCS), CSBG was appropriated $25 million in supplemental funds under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law No: 117-328). These funds are being made available to states authorized under the CSBG Act that were directly affected by Hurricanes Fiona and Ian, which have been declared by the President as a major disaster under section 401 or 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.
The Supplemental funds will be distributed to grant recipients based on need and must address necessary expenses directly related to the consequences of Hurricanes Fiona and Ian. CSBG grant recipients must allocate the funds to qualified locally based nonprofit community antipoverty agencies and other eligible entities that provide services to individuals and families with low incomes. States may use the funds to document and reimburse any immediate costs incurred by eligible entities that were directly related to the Presidentially declared disaster, if they fall within available grant resources under the CSBG Act and if grant recipients can verify that costs were not previously reimbursed through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or private insurance.
OCS is allocating the funds in three phases: 1) initial planning, needs assessment and cost documentation grants; 2) interim recovery; and 3) longer term recovery (which will be released over two years). This process allows for necessary adjustments during the implementation and for funds to be expended by eligible entities through the end of fiscal year 2027. This Action Transmittal provides instructions specifically focused on the third and final phase of this process.
For more information about the CSBG Disaster Supplemental for Hurricanes Fiona and Ian, see Information Memorandum (IM) 2023-164.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR PHASE 3, LONGER TERM RECOVERY GRANT
OCS will allocate disaster funds to eligible states for longer term recovery because of the qualified disasters. This is for the purpose of sustained funding to the eligible entities for disaster recovery. Please review the following actions to allow for timely submission and feedback on your application.
Criteria for Potential Grant Recipients
Applicants for CSBG Disaster Relief Supplemental Funds Phase 3 awards must have applied for and received approval for Phase 2, interim recovery grants.
Based on the criteria outlined above, CSBG Disaster Supplemental grant funding will only be provided to current CSBG grant recipients in Florida and Puerto Rico. Grant recipients must in-turn award funds to eligible entities already designated by the state for CSBG funding. OCS will not accept direct applications for funding that do not come from a current CSBG grant recipient in one of the states listed above. OCS strongly encourages CSBG lead agencies to work in close partnership and consultation with other community stakeholders in the design and delivery of disaster recovery services to address the most significant community needs.
Funding Allowances Under the CSBG Disaster Supplement Longer Term Recovery Grants
Applicants of the CSBG Disaster Supplemental Funds must distribute the funds based on the following guidelines:
- In accordance with Section 675C(b)(2)) of the CSBG Act (42 U.S.C. 9907(b)(2)), recipients may allocate the higher of $55,000 or 5 percent of the total award for state administrative costs. This cap will apply cumulatively to all funds awarded for the CSBG Disaster Supplemental. For the phase one application, this means that a state that applies for $500,000 in funding, could apply up to $55,000 for state administrative costs.
- Recipients must allocate all remaining funds to eligible entities to reimburse them for expenses for services and strategies to address ongoing disaster-recovery needs affecting low-income populations within the affected communities.
Allocation Table
OCS has attached the allocation amounts for each potential grant recipient, which should be used by applicants in developing distribution plans for CSBG funds
Application Content and Requirements
Eligible grant recipients must apply and submit a plan to OCS to receive Phase 3 funds. A full submission of your application must include a Standard Form for Federal Assistance (SF-424M) along with the following additional sections:
- CSBG Administrative Information
- Needs Assessment Summary
- State Use of Funds and Eligible Entity Allocations
- Individual and Community Income Eligibility Requirements
- Summary of Eligible Entity Action Plans
- Risk Mitigation and Monitoring, and Close Out
- CSBG Programmatic Assurances and Information Narrative
- Federal Certifications
All applications must provide critical information consistent with the following requirements:
Standard Form for Federal Assistance (SF-424M) — The applicant must complete the attached form to request funds and provide important grant information, including the contact information for their authorizing official.
- CSBG Administrative Information — The applicant must provide information on the agency, program contact and authorized official, including a governor’s authorization letter, which may be identical to the letter included in the accepted CSBG State Plan.
- Needs Assessment Summary — The applicant must provide a detailed description of the current needs of their eligible entities from the disaster-impacted communities, the process for allocating funds to the eligible entities, and an assessment of any tribal jurisdiction needs and partnerships, and a description of plans for coordination with any other available disaster recovery resources in the state.
- State Use of Funds and Eligible Entity Allocations — The application narrative must include an itemized state budget that outlines major categories of expenditure for state administration and/or additional state-level expenses; and the allocation amounts for CSBG eligible entities.
- Individual and Community Income Eligibility Requirements — The applicant must provide information on income eligibility requirements for the CSBG Disaster Supplemental and community-level disaster recovery services, including the required income eligibility up to 200% of the federal poverty line and information on how the state will assure that services that provide a community-wide benefits target and benefit low-income communities.
- Summary of Eligible Entity Action Plans — The applicant must provide a description of the disaster supplemental services and strategies to be implemented by each eligible entity.
- Risk Mitigation, Monitoring, and Close out — The applicant must provide a description on how the state and eligible entities will address the risk mitigation and quality assurance plans. It should also describe plans to ensure an orderly close out of grant activities. The brief narratives should be customized to the supplemental disaster recovery efforts but may include links or references to established state procedures applicable to CSBG generally or to all grants overseen by the state grant recipient.
- CSBG Programmatic Assurances and Information Narrative — The application must address the programmatic, administrative, and fiscal assurances precisely as they appear in the CSBG Act (except for the assurance related to Section 676(b)(8)).
- For Programmatic Assurances — Subsections 676(b)(1)(A) — (C) of the CSBG Act.
- For Administrative and Fiscal Assurances — Subsections 678D(a)(1)(A) through (B) of the CSBG Act, including certification that cost and accounting standards of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) shall apply (OMB Circulars A-110 and A-122). If the authorized official has delegated signature authority, a signed confirmation of such delegation by the authorized official must be submitted with the application.
- Federal Certifications — The state authorized official must provide certifications regarding lobbying, drug-free workplace requirements, debarment, and environmental tobacco smoke.
Deadlines
Applicants who have met the eligibility criteria under the CSBG Disaster Supplemental must apply for Phase 3 funds by Friday, November 22, 2024.
Submission of Application
The application materials for the CSBG Disaster Supplemental, interim recovery grants, must be submitted to Roneika Carr, a copy to Seth Hassett, and CSBGStates@acf.hhs.gov. The documents must be submitted be in PDF format, not password protected, and have the naming convention that is attached to this document.
OCS will review applications as they come in and we will notify applicants of any deficiencies and request a plan for remedial action. We will also work with the applicants to provide ongoing training and technical assistance to ensure that the applicants submit a timely and complete application.
FUNDING AWARDS
OCS anticipates that grant recipients whose applications are submitted to OCS by November 22, 2024, and received approval from OCS will be awarded their funds by the Office of Grants Management (OGM) around December 6, 2024.
Grant recipients who submit their applications to OCS after the November 22, 2024, deadline and received approval from OCS will be funded by OGM on a rolling basis.
Note: OGM will issue the Notice of Grant Award electronically via email distribution to the Authorized Official noted within the Online Data Collection System (OLDC) on the SF-424M. Therefore, please ensure that the Authorized Official email contact information is accurate.
FOR INQUIRIES
Questions pertaining to the CSBG Supplemental Funds should be directed to the following ACF staff.
For questions regarding accurate completion of the application, contact:
Roneika Carr
Policy Program Specialist, Office of Community Services
Phone: 202-401-4595
Email: Roneika.Carr@acf.hhs.gov
For questions regarding the fiscal reporting, and the SF-425, contact:
Evette Lovelace
Grants Management Specialist, Office of Grants Management
Phone: 470-351-3023
Email: Evette.Lovelace@acf.hhs.gov
Thank you for your attention to these matters. OCS looks forward to continuing to provide high-quality services to OCS partners.
/s/
Charisse Johnson
Director, Division of Community Assistance
Office of Community Services
Files
- PDF CSBG Disaster Supplemental Phase 3 Grant Application Tool (659.23 KB)
- PDF CSBG Fiona-Disaster Supplemental Allotment Table (173.55 KB)
- PDF CSBG Disaster Supplemental Naming Convention (154.70 KB)
- PDF SF424_Mandatory_3_0 (101.58 KB)
- PDF ACF-OCS-CSBG-AT-25-03 Disaster Supplemental Phase 3 Application Guidance (281.92 KB)