American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in San Antonio

The Department of Community Initiatives at the City of San Antonio is currently slated to receive over $26 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) over the next three years.  DCI will administer the following under ARRA:

• Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) - $6.9 million
• Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) - $3.1 million
• Child Care Development Block Grant  - $13 million
• Head Start - $3.4 million

Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing (HPRP)

DCI is receiving $6.9 million in federal and state HPRP funds and is contracting with numerous community-based organizations to deliver services to the community.  Agencies will provide financial assistance in the form of rental and utility payments for families that are at risk of becoming homeless, in addition to providing housing counseling, legal services and financial literacy classes.  The goal of the program is to help families achieve economic self sufficiency. 

Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)

ARRA funds will support workforce assistance activities that will allow participants to building skills and access resources that will allow them to find and maintain employment.  Again, DCI will fund community based organizations to provide the following services:

• Child Care Extended Day Services – Family Service Association and George Gervin
• Savings Program for Vehicle Ownership  – Goodwill Industries
• Adult Literacy Services – George Gervin
• Training and Employment Placement for Youth ages 17-25 – SA Youth Centers, Family Service Association, George Gervin
• Workforce Assistance and Employment Placement – Goodwill Industries, UTSA, George Gervin

Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG)

CCDBG funding allows for almost 1,500 new child care slots through DCI’s Child Care Services division.   In order to receive child care funding, individuals must be working at least 25 hours per week or enrolled in school or technical training studying a demand occupation.  Based on a calculation of 1.7 children per family, these funds will keep over 869 parents at work or in school on any given day. 

Head Start

ARRA funds will fund the purchase of new computers and playgrounds for Head Start centers, as well as additional education and training for teachers.  This represents a quality improvement in Head Start services. 

Accessing ARRA Services

The following list provides contact info for agencies providing ARRA services. 

Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing (HPRP)

Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)
Family Service Association - (210) 299-2400
Goodwill Industries - (210) 271-8800
San Antonio Youth Centers - (210) 223-3131
George Gervin Youth Center - (210) 568-8800