Salt Lake Community Action Program

THE MISSION OF SALT LAKE COMMUNITY ACTION IS TO EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS, STRENGTHEN FAMILIES, AND BUILD COMMUNITIES THROUGH EDUCATION AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAMS.

UTAH COMMUNITY ACTION PROVIDES SERVICES DESIGNED TO ASSIST INCOME ELIGIBLE FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS ON THE PATH TOWARDS SELF-RELIANCE. THE AGENCY SERVES 54,000 INDIVIDUALS EACH YEAR THROUGH OUR SIX CORE PROGRAMS: HEAD START, ADULT EDUCATION, CASE MANAGEMENT & HOUSING SERVICES, HEAT ENERGY ASSISTANCE, WEATHERIZATION, AND NUTRITION.HEAD START PROVIDES EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE FOR OVER 2,000 VULNERABLE CHILDREN AGES 0-5. HEAD START IS A NO-COST, HIGH-QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT PROMOTES SCHOOL READINESS THROUGH ACADEMIC EDUCATION, HEALTH ASSESSMENT AND SUPPORT, SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL LEARNING, AND FAMILY WELL-BEING. WE DO THIS WHILE ENGAGING PARENTS AS PARTNERS IN THEIR CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. ADDITIONALLY, OUR EARLY HEAD START CHILD CARE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM BRINGS TOGETHER THE BEST OF EARLY HEAD START AND CHILDCARE THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS THAT PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE AND CONTINUOUS SERVICES TO INFANTS AND TODDLERS FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES, THEREBY EXPANDING HIGH-QUALITY CHILD-CARE OPTIONS TO FAMILIES IN NEED. IN FISCAL YEAR 2022, HEAD START SERVED 1,918 CHILDREN AGES 3-5 AND EARLY HEAD START SERVED 375 CHILDREN AGES 0-3. ALMOST ALL THESE CHILDREN FALL BELOW THE FEDERAL POVERTY RATE (APPROXIMATELY $27K FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR). THOSE WHO ARE OVER THE POVERTY THRESHOLD QUALITY FOR OUR PROGRAM DUE TO DISABILITY OR OTHER SPECIAL NEEDS FOR WHICH THEY NEED THE INTENSIVE RESOURCES WE PROVIDE. EARLY HEAD START CHILDCARE PARTNERSHIPS SERVED 116 CHILDREN.

HOUSING & CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOCUS ON ASSISTING INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN ACHIEVING SELF-RELIANCE THROUGH HOLISTIC CASE MANAGEMENT. CLIENTS RECEIVE ASSISTANCE TO STABILIZE HOUSING, WHILE ENGAGING WITH OUR STAFF TO MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE EMPLOYMENT, ACCESS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, AND ENSURE THEIR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. DURING THE PANDEMIC, UCA STEPPED UP TO PROVIDE ALL THE COVID RENTAL AND DEPOSIT ASSISTANCE FOR SALT LAKE AND TOOELE COUNTIES. IN FISCAL YEAR 2022, 10,954 INDIVIDUALS WERE SERVED (3,464 FAMILIES, 955 DISABLED AND 397 SENIORS). 106 HOUSEHOLDS RECEIVED DEPOSIT ASSISTANCE, AND 3,563 HOUSEHOLDS RECEIVED RENTAL ASSISTANCE, WITH A TOTAL OF $19,886,124.70 HAVING BEEN DISPENSED TO CLIENTS IN NEED. IN ADDITION TO CASE MANAGEMENT AND HOUSING SERVICES, UCA PROVIDES THE COORDINATED INTAKE FOR THE HOMELESS SYSTEM IN SALT LAKE COUNTY AND STAFFS A COORDINATED INTAKE LINE FOR THE COUNTY TO PROVIDE LIVE BED LOCATION AND RESOURCES FOR CLIENTS, PROVIDERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS. UCA BEGAN PROVIDING DIVERSION SERVICES--ASSISTING CLIENTS IDENTIFY OPTIONS ALTERNATIVE TO SHELTER--IN 2015 AT THE MIDVALE FAMILY SHELTER. WE HAVE SINCE EXPANDED TO PROVIDE ALL DIVERSION SERVICES FOR THE THREE NEW HOMELESS RESOURCES CENTERS OPENED IN 2019 AS WELL AS THE MIDVALE FAMILY SHELTER AND AT THE WEIGAND DAY CENTER. LAST YEAR, UCA SUCCESSFULLY DIVERTED OVER 828 HOUSEHOLDS FROM SHELTER. FOR CLIENTS FOR WHOM DIVERSION IS NOT AN OPTION, UCA PROVIDES INTAKE INTO THE HOMELESS RESOURCE CENTERS. ADDITIONALLY, IN FISCAL YEAR 2021 UCA EXPANDED OUR LANDLORD-TENANT MEDIATION PROGRAM STATEWIDE. THE FOCUS OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE TENANT EDUCATION AND MEDIATION SERVICES TO CLIENTS WITH A 3-DAY PAY OR VACATE NOTICE. UCA PROVIDED MEDIATION SERVICES TO OVER 750 HOUSEHOLDS AND WAS ABLE TO ASSIST 683 HOUSEHOLDS MAINTAIN THEIR HOUSING UNIT. OUR MEDIATION TEAM ALSO PROVIDED TENANT EDUCATION TO OVER 1,200 HOUSEHOLDS. ADULT EDUCATION SUPPORTS CLIENTS SEEKING TO IMPROVE THEIR JOB SKILLS THROUGH OUR SAUTE' CULINARY ARTS TRAINING PROGRAM, WORKSHOPS FOCUSED ON FINANCIAL LITERACY AND JOB READINESS, AND POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION INCLUDING CHILD DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE ("CDA") AND REFERRALS TO APPLIED TECHNOLOGY DEGREE PROGRAMS. IN FY22, WE WERE ABLE TO ASSIST 18 INDIVIDUALS IN OBTAINING THEIR CDA CERTIFICATE. IN SAUTE', 30 CLIENTS WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE COURSE AND RECEIVE THEIR SERVSAFE CERTIFICATION. OUR ACHIEVE! FINANCIAL ASSET BUILDING PROGRAM SERVED 42 CLIENTS WITH CASE MANAGEMENT IN SETTING GOALS FOR FINANCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL GAINS. HEAT (HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE TARGET) IS A FEDERALLY-FUNDED UTILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM DESIGNED TO HELP FAMILIES PAY THEIR ENERGY COSTS AND EDUCATE THEM ON ENERGY CONSERVATION TO DECREASE THEIR BILLS YEAR-ROUND. CRISIS ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO QUALIFY. PRIORITY IS GIVEN TO THE ELDERLY, DISABLED, AND FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN 5 AND UNDER. DURING THE PANDEMIC, WATER ASSISTANCE WAS ADDED FOR CLIENTS IN SALT LAKE COUNTY. UCA ADMINISTERED THESE FUNDS TO FURTHER HELP CLIENTS DURING THE PANDEMIC. DURING THE 2021-2022 SEASON, HEAT ASSISTED 8,938 HOUSEHOLDS CONSISTING OF 23,877 INDIVIDUALS, DISTRIBUTING $6,233,652 IN UTILITY BENEFITS AND OVER $311,207 IN CRISIS ASSISTANCE. THE STATE REPORTING DATABASE WAS CHANGED IN 2021 AND THE STATE HAS HAD CHALLENGES WITH THE SYSTEM AND HAS BEEN WORKING TO RESOLVE THEM. THE BIGGEST IMPACT HAS BEEN THE TIMELINESS OF REPORTING DATA AND THE INABILITY FOR PROGRAMS TO PULL THEIR OWN REPORTS. THE STATE PROVIDES THE REPORTING, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN CONSISTENT. THEY ARE WORKING TO RESOLVE IT, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE TIMELY NUMBERS. THE HEAT PROGRAM AVERAGES 175 HOME VISITS EACH YEAR IN SERVICE OF HOMEBOUND INDIVIDUALS, TYPICALLY THOSE WHO ARE ELDERLY, DISABLED OR HAVE SEVERE HEALTH LIMITATIONS. SOME HOME VISITS WERE PAUSED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, BUT HAVE SINCE RESUMED IN PERSON.NUTRITION PROGRAMMING ASSISTS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES RANGING FROM INFANTS TO THE ELDERLY. SERVICES ARE COMPREHENSIVE AND INCLUDE HEALTHY, NUTRITIOUS MEALS FOR ALL OUR HEAD START CHILDREN, OUR SUMMER DINNER PROGRAM PROVIDING FREE MEALS TO ALL CHILDREN AGE 0-18, AND OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH SALT LAKE COUNTY TO PROVIDE FOOD SERVICES AT THE MILLCREEK, MIDVALE, AND DRAPER SENIOR CAFES. IN FISCAL 2021, THROUGH OUR HEAD START CENTRAL KITCHEN WE SERVED 365,446 MEALS, PROVIDING NOT ONLY OUR HEAD START CHILDREN BUT ALSO OTHER CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY WITH TWO-THIRDS OF THEIR DAILY NUTRITIONAL VALUE. ADDITIONALLY, 66,125 MEALS WERE SERVED THROUGH THE SUMMER DINNER PROGRAM.

THE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM IS A FEDERALLY-FUNDED PROGRAM THAT IMPROVES THE SAFETY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF HOMES FOR INCOME-ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS IN SALT LAKE, TOOELE, WEBER, MORGAN, AND DAVIS COUNTIES. WEATHERIZED HOMES SAVE AN AVERAGE OF $372 PER YEAR IN HOME ENERGY COSTS. THIS EQUALS A 27% AVERAGE ENERGY COST REDUCTION PER HOUSEHOLD. IN 2021, 126 HOMES RECEIVED WEATHERIZATION SERVICES AND 162 HOUSEHOLDS RECEIVED CRISIS ASSISTANCE TO REPAIR OR REPLACE FURNACES, AIR CONDITIONERS, AND WATER HEATERS IN 2021, 102 CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF SIX, 149 DISABLED INDIVIDUALS AND 154 ELDERLY CLIENTS BENEFITED FROM THE SERVICES DELIVERED BY THIS PROGRAM.