Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Director's Name: Tara Williams
Department: Human Services Division: Family Success Administration
Information
Requested Action
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MOTION TO APPROVE Federally Funded Subgrant Umbrella Agreement No. E2227 between the Florida Department of Commerce and Broward County, for the anticipated amount of $1,600,000 to provide services under the Community Services Block Grant (“CSBG”), and for the anticipated amount of $5,400,000 to provide services under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (“LIHEAP”), effective from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, with up to three renewal options, to provide economic self-sufficiency and home energy assistance benefits to eligible households; authorize the Mayor and Clerk to execute same; authorize the County Administrator to execute renewals, amendments, and modifications to the Subgrant Agreement, subject to review and approval for legal sufficiency by the County Attorney’s Office, that do not impose any additional material financial obligations on the County; and authorize the County Administrator to take all necessary administrative and budgetary actions to implement the Subgrant Agreement.
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Why Action is Necessary
Section 20.31(b)(3), Broward County Administrative Code, requires that the Broward County Board of County Commissioners (“Commission”) approves all state and federal grant agreements.
What Action Accomplishes
Approval of this Subgrant Agreement ensures receipt of grant funds for the continuation of the CSBG and LIHEAP to provide economic self-sufficiency and home energy assistance to eligible households. The purpose of CSBG is to reduce poverty and its effects on communities by supporting a range of services that focus on increasing financial stability and economic self-sufficiency for households at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. The purpose of LIHEAP is to promote health and safety for households experiencing energy crisis by providing home energy assistance to households that are at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines.
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Previous Action Taken
None
Summary Explanation/Background
THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE FAMILY SUCCESS ADMINISTRATION DIVISION RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION.
This item supports the Commission’s value of “building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives” and the goal of “delivering accessible human services that holistically address the whole person collaboratively and compassionately.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) administers CSBG and LIHEAP at the federal level and distributes block grant funds to the states. The Florida Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) is the funding recipient and pass-through entity in Florida and is designated by HHS to distribute these block grant funds to local subrecipients. Broward County’s Community Action Agency (“CAA”), administered through the Family Success Administration Division, has been designated by Commerce to receive funding under this Subgrant Agreement. This funding allows the CAA to ensure a safety net for low-income individuals and families in Broward County while creating opportunities to move from poverty to economic stability.
The CSBG program helps individuals and families increase their economic self-sufficiency by providing emergency rent or mortgage assistance, employment referrals, educational and training programs, childcare, food vouchers, and bus passes, as well as connections to a wide range of other community programs that help them achieve economic self-sufficiency. LIHEAP assists low-income households with electric bill payments to reduce the risk of health and safety problems that may arise from a lack of energy or the use of unsafe heating and cooling practices.
Historically, funds for CSBG and LIHEAP were awarded through separate agreements annually. Beginning with Fiscal Year 2021, funds for CSBG and LIHEAP were combined under one umbrella agreement that does not specify a funding amount but authorizes the use of Notice of Funding Awards (“NFAs”) to obligate and release funds for each grant. During Fiscal Year 2025, Broward County received $1,632,357 in CSBG funding, serving 427 households with an average assistance of $854 per household. LIHEAP received $12,815,049 in funding, serving 4,692 households with an average assistance of $898 per household.
For Fiscal Year 2026, funding is retroactive for services provided as of July 1, 2025, ending on June 30, 2026. Retroactive approval is due to Commerce providing the new Subgrant Agreement No. E2227 on June 4, 2025, and the last Commission meeting date before Summer Recess was on June 10, 2025. Furthermore, an extension to the current Subgrant Agreement No. E1993 was received on June 14, 2025, to extend the expiration date from June 30, 2025, to September 30, 2025, effective on July 1, 2025.
The Subgrant Agreement may be renewed annually for up to three years at Commerce’s sole and absolute discretion. For each program award, NFAs will be issued through Commerce’s financial management information system after the Subgrant Agreement is executed.
The Subgrant Agreement (Exhibit 1) is in the form required by the funding agency and contains the disclosable contractual provisions outlined in Exhibit 2. The Subgrant Agreement has been reviewed and approved as to form by the County Attorney’s Office.
Source of Additional Information
Efrem H. Crenshaw, Director, Family Success Administration Division, (954) 357-5003
Kristi Hill, Assistant Director, Family Success Administration Division, (954) 357-6403
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact/Cost Summary
These programs are 100% federally funded. Since 2018, a Broward County match has not been required for CSBG; however, Broward County has continued to provide $26,000 annually from General Funds to maintain the level of services provided through the CSBG program. NFAs will be issued by Commerce upon execution of the Subgrant Agreement.