Agenda - 01-21-2003-9a - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: January 21, 2003 Action Age a Item No. -,cL SUBJECT: Social Safety Net Transfer to Supplement Emergency Assistance Funding DEPARTMENT: Social Services PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Emergency Energy Assistance Report Nancy Coston, ext. 2802 Sharron Hinton, ext. 2302 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To provide updated information on emergency assistance programs and on the relationships with the utility companies and service providers, and to request supplemental funds for emergency assistance payments during this budget year. BACKGROUND: Last year, the Board received a preliminary report on the work of a committee formed by the County Manager to review and improve the procedures used to help families with financial crises, particularly crises related to utility costs. This group has continued to work on the issues identified last year and a report on its efforts is attached for BOCC review. Some highlights from that report include: Social Services is now the guarantor for utility deposits (rather than paying those funds upfront); financial counseling is being offered to families receiving emergency assistance; and there is an ongoing effort to identify ways to improve the community's response to these needs. Social Services is also requesting additional funds to assist families in crises. The current budget for emergency assistance is significantly less than the amount spent last year. The budget was developed before the impact of several changes in the program were known. Economic conditions have also resulted in more families losing wages and needing assistance. Therefore the agency is requesting that $61,735 be made available from the social safety net contingency fund set aside in the annual budget to address these needs. Some of these funds ($35,000) will assist families with children using the Work First guidelines and will therefore count as part of the Maintenance of Effort requirement for the Work First Block Grant. This would increase the budget for this item from $65,000 to $100,000. Last year's expenditures totaled $180,944. The other requested funds ($26,735) will be used for families without minor children through the County General Assistance program. This would increase this program's budget to $112,000 compared to expenditures of $110,502 during last year.