NEICAC is worried about the impact of federal budget cuts

NEICAC staffers say they're worried about the impact of the proposed federal budget.

For the second consecutive year, the Trump Administration is proposing to eliminate all funding for the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). 

NEICAC staffers says eliminating the CSBG program threatens the very existence of nearly 1,000 local Community Action Agencies (CAAs) that serve approximately 16 million low-income people every year in 99 percent of the counties in the United States.
 
Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation is one of those nearly 1,000 Community Action Agencies.  It serves Winneshiek, Allamakee, Bremer, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette and Howard counties.  For NEICAC, the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) provides the funding to staff nine local Family Services offices in these seven counties. Three of these offices also include Food Pantries for their counties. Family Services staff assist clients with Fuel Assistance, Weatherization, Head Start services and other crisis or emergency programs. 

Elimination of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) would put many Northeast Iowans at risk.

Says NEICAC Executive Director Trisha Wilkins, "Losing CSBG, LIHEAP and WAP could devastate our communities. The Community Services Block Grant funding is the very foundation of our community action agency and it's the local offices that provide clients the assistance to receive many of our NEICAC programs.  The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and Weatherization Assistance Program provides not only supplemental energy assistance to clients, but ensures our clients have healthy, safe and energy efficient homes."