OCS Priorities and FY23 Spotlights
Putting Our Priorities into Action: What We’ve Learned
In 2021, OCS set four priorities. Setting priorities is essential because it helps OCS focus on what truly matters, allowing us to allocate time and resources effectively. These priorities inform our decisions and help us stay aligned with our long-term goals. These priorities include:
1
Ensuring the programs we administer are of the highest quality possible and are reaching those most in need.
2
Lifting up voices from the field and using lessons learned to be thoughtful, inclusive, and innovative in our approach.
3
Identifying opportunities to break down silos and implement cross-cutting initiatives within OCS and ACF, and across the federal government.
4
Amplifying OCS' many connections to HHS’ and ACF’s top priorities to better support families and communities.
Through our efforts to implement these four priorities over the past three years, OCS has identified critical lessons learned.
Access to programs must be offered in multiple languages to be equitable.
OCS grant recipients work with beneficiaries of every background, including many with limited English proficiency. To provide the highest quality services and reach those most in need, OCS began a language access process in FY21. We now translate public-facing outreach materials into Spanish, Mandarin, and Cantonese, and in FY23 added Yup’ik, Cherokee, and Diné. Providing translations and prioritizing individuals with limited English proficiency are important parts of our strategy to ensure that everyone who needs services has meaningful access. These language accessibility efforts are also part of our broader commitment to support our grant recipients, many of whom lack the budget necessary to translate their materials.
Embracing tribes as sovereign independent partners improves services.
OCS is responsible for providing funding to tribes and tribal communities in addition to states and territories. This requires a nuanced approach. Unlike other groups, tribal communities have a sovereign status recognized by the U.S. government, granting them the authority to govern themselves, make laws, and manage resources within their territories. In FY23, OCS also engaged in the most site visits to tribal communities and programs in OCS’ record and continues to incorporate that feedback into program design.
User-friendly tools can help with accessibility
When guidelines are presented in a straightforward and transparent way, potential participants are more likely to understand the eligibility requirements. Based on feedback from LIHEAP applicants, members of the public, and grant recipients, OCS developed and launched a LIHEAP eligibility tool in FY23. This tool is intended to help potential beneficiaries determine if they might qualify for LIHEAP assistance. This user-friendly tool allows households across the country to quickly identify if they might be eligible for LIHEAP assistance by inputting basic information like income and household size. This tool is available in English, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Yup’ik, Cherokee, and Diné. Since its launch in the fall of 2023, the tool has provided services to hundreds of thousands of households.
Feedback from grantees and stakeholders is essential for identifying barriers, recognizing opportunities to improve, and ultimately providing the best services for our customers.
Over the past three years, OCS has prioritized getting feedback from grant recipients in every aspect of our work. Getting feedback from grant recipients is crucial for ensuring that the grants OCS administers are both effective and responsive to their needs. It provides valuable insights into the challenges they face and the impact of the grant on their work. By listening to their experiences, we can refine our processes, improve resource allocation, and offer better guidance in the future. Feedback also strengthens relationships, fostering a sense of collaboration and trust between funders and recipients, ultimately enhancing the success of your shared goals.
For example, when Community Economic Development (CED) program staff visited the field, they heard that some prospective grant applicants lacked the resources and capacity that they needed to put together a robust grant application that could win a full CED grant. This meant that some of the organizations most in need of a CED grant were also those that struggled to win them due to structural obstacles. Integrating this feedback, the CED team introduced a new CED planning grant in FY23, designed to provide capital to bring on additional capacity to plan and apply for a full CED grant. Twenty-one of these planning grants were awarded in FY23, 12 of which went to states that didn’t have an active CED grant or have never had a CED grant.
The importance of embracing alternate energy sources.
Embracing alternative energy sources is essential for creating a sustainable future. Renewable energy, such as solar, wind, and hydro, reduces our dependence on fossil fuels, which contribute to environmental degradation and climate change. By adopting cleaner energy, we not only protect the planet but also promote energy security, reduce long-term costs, and stimulate innovation. As alternative energy sources continue to grow as a share of the U.S. energy market, grant recipients and stakeholders communicated their need for clearer guidance on how the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) could intersect with community solar programs, which allow people to purchase energy from local, community based solar grids. The LIHEAP team issued guidance that confirmed that LIHEAP benefits can be used for solar energy, and sharing recommendations on additional considerations, like consumer protection measures, that should be in place for LIHEAP-Community Solar customers. This guidance allows LIHEAP grant recipients to extend the benefits of community solar to LIHEAP households, including cost savings and access to clean energy.
FY23 Spotlights
In FY23, the Office of Community Services (OCS) made significant strides in empowering communities through targeted programs and initiatives. A key spotlight was its focus on economic mobility, helping individuals and families with low incomes gain access to sustainable resources and opportunities. OCS also strengthened partnerships with local organizations to address urgent community needs, such as housing stability, food security, and energy assistance. Additionally, the office prioritized capacity-building efforts, ensuring that community-based organizations had the tools and support necessary to maximize their impact. OCS also focused on evaluating and building upon the lessons learned in FY21 and FY22 in order to track what we have accomplished, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions that enhance our impact.
Launching two new demonstration programs
The Office of Community Services (OCS) launched two new demonstration pilot programs to explore innovative solutions for addressing persistent challenges in communities with low incomes. By closely monitoring outcomes and gathering insights, OCS aims to test and refine these models to assess their impact. These programs underscore OCS' commitment to fostering sustainable, evidence-based solutions that promote economic stability and social well-being.
Affordable Housing and Supportive Services Demonstration (AHSSD)
Housing instability in any form — difficulty paying rent, outsized spending of household income on housing, overcrowded living conditions, frequent moving, eviction, unsafe housing, or homelessness — can have a significant negative effect on youth and families’ well-being. The Affordable Housing and Supportive Services Demonstration (AHSSD) program strengthens, expands, and enhances wraparound supportive services available to affordable housing residents to increase stability, economic mobility, and well-being. In FY23, OCS distributed $2.1 million to fund nine grant recipients in eight states and one tribal community.
Medical-Legal Partnerships Plus (MLP+)
Without assistance, legal issues can impact the health outcomes of families by limiting access to safe housing, opportunities for dignified employment, and adequate income, access to education, protection from violence, and the ability to immigrate. The Medical-Legal Partnerships Plus (MLP+) program is the first-ever federally funded demonstration program for medical-legal partnerships and improves individual and family well-being by addressing the social determinants of health through wraparound legal and social services in health care settings. In FY23, OCS distributed $1.6 million to fund eight longstanding medical-legal partnerships. These programs will serve individuals and families in Connecticut, Hawaii, Montana, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
Reaching households with unmet utility needs
Ensuring social services reach as many people as possible is essential for promoting equal opportunity and improving community well-being. Broad reach not only maximizes the impact of these programs but also helps to build a more resilient society by supporting individuals and families in overcoming barriers to economic and social success.
These milestones serve as checkpoints that help individuals or organizations measure their success, maintain motivation, and stay on track.
Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) Serves One Million Households
In August 2023, LIHWAP hit the key milestone of providing water and wastewater bill assistance to over one million households, helping them maintain continuous water and wastewater services at home. Access to water is essential for health, hygiene, and overall well-being, yet many vulnerable households face financial barriers to maintaining this vital service. LIHWAP helps by preventing disconnections, restoring water services, and reducing water bills, directly improving quality of life. This program addresses a critical gap in the social safety net, especially for those struggling with utility costs, ensuring that families are not deprived of such a fundamental resource.
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Serves Nearly Six Million People.
In FY23, LIHEAP provided essential support to nearly 6 million individuals and families nationwide. By helping households with low incomes afford their energy costs, LIHEAP ensures that vulnerable populations can maintain safe and healthy living environments. Additional supplemental funding which totaled $2 billion in addition to $100 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act helped expand the program reach. This also enhanced technical and training assistance capabilities to inform partners about new and existing guidance, ensuring grant recipients had the information they needed to distribute benefits in a way that serves their communities best. This program not only alleviates financial burdens but also protects communities from the risks associated with energy insecurity, reinforcing our commitment to fostering stability and well-being for all.
Empowering through data
Empowering programs through data involves leveraging data to enhance decision-making, improve efficiency, and drive innovation. Using data effectively enables programs to be more responsive, adaptive, and impactful in achieving their objectives. In FY23, OCS launched these data-driven strategies:
LIHEAP Quarterly Report and Data Dashboard
In August 2023, OCS released the LIHEAP Data Dashboard, an information management tool that visually tracks, analyzes, and displays key performance indicators, as well as key data points from the approved LIHEAP Model Plans and the LIHEAP Quarterly Performance and Management reports. For the first time, grant recipients can find critical information about LIHEAP administration in close to real time. The data reflects progress toward distributing benefits, restoring home energy, and preventing loss of home energy.
Rural Community Development (RCD) Information and Data Dashboard
OCS released the Rural Community Development (RCD) Information and Data Dashboard. This dashboard shows the RCD program’s impact on communities’ capacity to deliver safe, affordable water for rural and tribal communities across the country. It also provides aggregate data to grant recipients that they can use to inform their approach when applying for additional funding.
LIHWAP Data Dashboard
In FY23, OCS enhanced the LIHWAP Data Dashboard by including annual report data to demonstrate program implementation across all types of grant recipients. This upgraded dashboard provides timely insights into program performance, enabling us to track progress and address issues promptly. By leveraging this advanced tool, we help LIHWAP operate efficiently and effectively, ultimately improving service delivery and outcomes for families and communities.
Tools in Action
In FY23, OCS was able to see how tools developed in FY21 and FY22 were used across the country to address pressing community needs.
Preparing for disaster response
OCS built on its efforts to support grant recipients more effectively in preparing for, recovering from, and rebuilding after natural disasters. The Disaster Flexibilities Hub garnered more than 44,000 hits since its launch in FY22.
Case study: Maui Wildfire
Maui, Hawaii was struck by disastrous wildfires on August 8, 2023, the largest natural disaster in Hawaii’s state history. OCS’ disaster response team reached out to grant recipients on the ground within two days to share relevant resources, reiterate OCS’ support of them and their programs, and remind them of the flexibilities in their grant funding that might enable them to better meet community needs in the aftermath of the fire. Grant recipients responded with more information about their needs, discussed how they were allocating resources, and asked questions about how OCS funding could flex to suit the situation on the ground. Not only did this process allow OCS to support our grant recipients more effectively, but it directly informed broader ACF work in Maui and led to greater internal coordination between OCS and ACF’s Office of Human Services Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR).
Sharing data with the field
OCS has consistently prioritized gathering and sharing back grant recipient data to improve service delivery and address program needs in a timely manner.
LIHEAP Performance Management Data Warehouse
The Data Case Studies page on the LIHEAP Performance Management Website shares examples of grant recipients using data for performance management. The data case studies include reports, tutorials, webinars, tools, and short videos demonstrating how grant recipients have used data to examine their programs. For example, Using LIHEAP and Census Data for Geographic Analysis - Data Case Study #3 is a short video that shows Illinois' effort to use LIHEAP data and census data to analyze the share of the income-eligible population served by LIHEAP.
Leveraging data to shape policy
Using both qualitative and quantitative data to shape programs and policy is vital for comprehensive and effective decision-making. Quantitative data provides measurable and statistical insights, allowing for the assessment of trends, patterns, and the scale of issues. Qualitative data, on the other hand, offers depth and context, capturing personal experiences, motivations, and nuanced perspectives. Together, these data types enable a holistic understanding of complex issues, ensuring that programs and policies are both evidence-based and attuned to the real needs and experiences of the population they serve.
CSBG Rapid Cycle Evaluation
Starting in FY21 and implemented in FY23, CSBG worked directly with 13 community action agencies, two non-profit organizations, and one state association to develop rapid cycle learning projects to adapt local service models to effectively respond to urgent community needs following the COVID-19 pandemic. These projects focused on five key areas: adapting service delivery to a physical distancing model; coordinating with public health; identifying and training for high-demand jobs; making structural reforms at a community level; and strengthening individual and family adaptive capacities. OCS leveraged these projects to provide best and promising practices across the CSBG network. The projects provided real-life examples and strategies feasible at the local and state level that can be replicated when urgent needs may arise.
Updating Policies to Ensure All Eligible Individuals Can Access the Benefits They Need
In FY23, OCS issued an information memorandum (IM) that clarified benefit eligibility for LIHEAP eligible household members residing in households with at least one member who is not eligible. This guidance clarifies that grant recipients may pay the full amount of an arrearage to reconnect services or prevent the disconnection of home energy services for an eligible household member in order to ensure the availability of home energy services, even if the eligible member resides with one or more ineligible household members. Grant recipients may also provide eligible household members with other LIHEAP services that cannot be prorated such as the purchase, repair, or replacement of a heating or air-conditioning unit, weatherization services, and other minor home energy related repairs. This policy follows similar guidance implemented for the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program. This guidance will allow grant recipients to best meet the needs of eligible individuals in households with low income and ensure that those who are eligible for critical utility assistance are not denied services based solely on living with ineligible household members.