Community revitalization, definitions, agencies strategies,community plan components, resources, waivers required.
208.335. 1. The general assembly is committed to community renewal andrevitalization, especially in high poverty areas. Community renewal dependson fostering a sense of belonging and a sense of community. Community renewaland revitalization are important for enhancing the quality of life forcommunity residents. To this end, the general assembly supports thedevelopment and use of community-based systems of support that includetraditional and nontraditional mechanisms for enhancing quality of life.
2. As used in this section, the following terms mean:
(1) "Community", an area of similar and like interests for developing aninfrastructure that supports a self-sufficiency pact, as established insection 208.325, while reducing the need for welfare except as a transitionalbenefit. A community can include a group of blocks or a self-definedneighborhood in an area;
(2) "Systems of support", a program, service or other activity with thegoal of alleviating poverty or improving the quality of life.
3. The department of social services in collaboration with thedepartment of economic development, department of labor and industrialrelations, department of health and senior services, department of mentalhealth and other agencies shall develop a comprehensive methodology to focus ablend of federal, state and local resources on communities to address issuesof poverty specific to the community. Part of this methodology shall bespecific strategies for the coordinated use of existing job training programsat the local level, including federal and state job training funds, and theprivate industry councils. The elimination of duplication of services and theenhancing of access to existing agencies shall be the primary goals of thesestrategies. The department of social services shall also develop strategiesfor contracting at the community level with public agencies and privatenot-for-profit organizations, community action agencies, for the delivery ofservices to promote self-sufficiency; such services may include the provisionof child care, transportation, employment-readiness, and job training. Themethodology of the department of social services should include, but need notbe limited to:
(1) An inventory of community strengths and weaknesses, including theavailability of community services, businesses and individual volunteers;
(2) Assessing the potential for local residents, given sufficienttraining and financial support, to provide for improved community services andbusinesses;
(3) Provision of staff resources needed to help identify and informlocal residents about the program, organize public meetings, develop localleadership and gain the commitment of local residents for the success of theproject; and
(4) Giving preference to projects that would include small businessesmanaged or owned by local residents. The director of the department of social services shall establish pilotprograms that promote local authority and decision making. The department ofsocial services shall give local communities, to the maximum extent possible,authority to direct assistance in conjunction with local resources to providenew and innovative ways of assisting people living in poverty.
4. The department of social services shall accept applications and workwith other agencies, subject to appropriation, to establish a pilot project ina city not within a county to develop and implement an alternativeneighborhood, community-based program for disadvantaged youths known as the"Youth Build St. Louis" program.
5. Communities should submit a community revitalization plan to thedepartment of social services designed to strengthen local systems of supportand provide economic incentives for investment in the community.
6. Local resources shall be identified in the plan which shall be usedto expand the community's capacity to sustain residents' self-sufficiency.The plan should be tailored to the community and should build on existinginitiatives and service delivery systems.
7. Community agencies which may include community action agencies asdefined in section 660.370, RSMo, shall be used to manage revitalizationprograms and support system development.
8. Community revitalization plans should include, but not be limited to,the following components:
(1) Community cooperatives which expand the capacity to meet basic needssuch as child care;
(2) Transportation strategies, which make better use of existingtransportation resources through multisystem use and coordination;
(3) Health care strategies which maximize available resources for thehealth and safety of the individuals residing in the community;
(4) Community support and volunteer involvement, which maximize humanresources and provide residents the opportunity to reinvest in theirneighborhoods, volunteer service banks, mentoring and adolescent-specificprograms may be included;
(5) Service integration, which improves efficacy and facilitates aneeds-based approach to service delivery. Service integration should includecommon intake and referral strategies;
(6) Economic revitalization, which creates an environment of opportunityand growth. Neighborhood assistance programs and other economic developmenttools, such as investment incentives should be identified;
(7) Private sector involvement and investment, which ensures theviability of the community is self-sustaining and involves the totalcommunity. Community representation and private sector commitments should bespecified;
(8) Prevention, which gives families in need of short-term assistancethe resources necessary to avoid long-term dependency.
9. Communities receiving assistance to implement a revitalization planshould be provided with the following resources:
(1) Flexible funding, to facilitate the initial organization ofcommunity resources and agencies for the purpose of plan implementation;
(2) Technical assistance, for the development of unified intake,referral and service delivery strategies, and communication network systems;
(3) Expanded options, subject to waiver approval, such as wagesupplementation and resource and income disregards for welfare recipients toincrease the probability of economic independence;
(4) Evaluation of results, to monitor system effectiveness and programimpact.
10. The provisions of this section shall be implemented as waiversnecessary to ensure continued federal funding are received.
Community revitalization, definitions, agencies strategies,community plan components, resources, waivers required.
208.335. 1. The general assembly is committed to community renewal andrevitalization, especially in high poverty areas. Community renewal dependson fostering a sense of belonging and a sense of community. Community renewaland revitalization are important for enhancing the quality of life forcommunity residents. To this end, the general assembly supports thedevelopment and use of community-based systems of support that includetraditional and nontraditional mechanisms for enhancing quality of life.
2. As used in this section, the following terms mean:
(1) "Community", an area of similar and like interests for developing aninfrastructure that supports a self-sufficiency pact, as established insection 208.325, while reducing the need for welfare except as a transitionalbenefit. A community can include a group of blocks or a self-definedneighborhood in an area;
(2) "Systems of support", a program, service or other activity with thegoal of alleviating poverty or improving the quality of life.
3. The department of social services in collaboration with thedepartment of economic development, department of labor and industrialrelations, department of health and senior services, department of mentalhealth and other agencies shall develop a comprehensive methodology to focus ablend of federal, state and local resources on communities to address issuesof poverty specific to the community. Part of this methodology shall bespecific strategies for the coordinated use of existing job training programsat the local level, including federal and state job training funds, and theprivate industry councils. The elimination of duplication of services and theenhancing of access to existing agencies shall be the primary goals of thesestrategies. The department of social services shall also develop strategiesfor contracting at the community level with public agencies and privatenot-for-profit organizations, community action agencies, for the delivery ofservices to promote self-sufficiency; such services may include the provisionof child care, transportation, employment-readiness, and job training. Themethodology of the department of social services should include, but need notbe limited to:
(1) An inventory of community strengths and weaknesses, including theavailability of community services, businesses and individual volunteers;
(2) Assessing the potential for local residents, given sufficienttraining and financial support, to provide for improved community services andbusinesses;
(3) Provision of staff resources needed to help identify and informlocal residents about the program, organize public meetings, develop localleadership and gain the commitment of local residents for the success of theproject; and
(4) Giving preference to projects that would include small businessesmanaged or owned by local residents. The director of the department of social services shall establish pilotprograms that promote local authority and decision making. The department ofsocial services shall give local communities, to the maximum extent possible,authority to direct assistance in conjunction with local resources to providenew and innovative ways of assisting people living in poverty.
4. The department of social services shall accept applications and workwith other agencies, subject to appropriation, to establish a pilot project ina city not within a county to develop and implement an alternativeneighborhood, community-based program for disadvantaged youths known as the"Youth Build St. Louis" program.
5. Communities should submit a community revitalization plan to thedepartment of social services designed to strengthen local systems of supportand provide economic incentives for investment in the community.
6. Local resources shall be identified in the plan which shall be usedto expand the community's capacity to sustain residents' self-sufficiency.The plan should be tailored to the community and should build on existinginitiatives and service delivery systems.
7. Community agencies which may include community action agencies asdefined in section 660.370, RSMo, shall be used to manage revitalizationprograms and support system development.
8. Community revitalization plans should include, but not be limited to,the following components:
(1) Community cooperatives which expand the capacity to meet basic needssuch as child care;
(2) Transportation strategies, which make better use of existingtransportation resources through multisystem use and coordination;
(3) Health care strategies which maximize available resources for thehealth and safety of the individuals residing in the community;
(4) Community support and volunteer involvement, which maximize humanresources and provide residents the opportunity to reinvest in theirneighborhoods, volunteer service banks, mentoring and adolescent-specificprograms may be included;
(5) Service integration, which improves efficacy and facilitates aneeds-based approach to service delivery. Service integration should includecommon intake and referral strategies;
(6) Economic revitalization, which creates an environment of opportunityand growth. Neighborhood assistance programs and other economic developmenttools, such as investment incentives should be identified;
(7) Private sector involvement and investment, which ensures theviability of the community is self-sustaining and involves the totalcommunity. Community representation and private sector commitments should bespecified;
(8) Prevention, which gives families in need of short-term assistancethe resources necessary to avoid long-term dependency.
9. Communities receiving assistance to implement a revitalization planshould be provided with the following resources:
(1) Flexible funding, to facilitate the initial organization ofcommunity resources and agencies for the purpose of plan implementation;
(2) Technical assistance, for the development of unified intake,referral and service delivery strategies, and communication network systems;
(3) Expanded options, subject to waiver approval, such as wagesupplementation and resource and income disregards for welfare recipients toincrease the probability of economic independence;
(4) Evaluation of results, to monitor system effectiveness and programimpact.
10. The provisions of this section shall be implemented as waiversnecessary to ensure continued federal funding are received.
Community revitalization, definitions, agencies strategies,community plan components, resources, waivers required.
208.335. 1. The general assembly is committed to community renewal andrevitalization, especially in high poverty areas. Community renewal dependson fostering a sense of belonging and a sense of community. Community renewaland revitalization are important for enhancing the quality of life forcommunity residents. To this end, the general assembly supports thedevelopment and use of community-based systems of support that includetraditional and nontraditional mechanisms for enhancing quality of life.
2. As used in this section, the following terms mean:
(1) "Community", an area of similar and like interests for developing aninfrastructure that supports a self-sufficiency pact, as established insection 208.325, while reducing the need for welfare except as a transitionalbenefit. A community can include a group of blocks or a self-definedneighborhood in an area;
(2) "Systems of support", a program, service or other activity with thegoal of alleviating poverty or improving the quality of life.
3. The department of social services in collaboration with thedepartment of economic development, department of labor and industrialrelations, department of health and senior services, department of mentalhealth and other agencies shall develop a comprehensive methodology to focus ablend of federal, state and local resources on communities to address issuesof poverty specific to the community. Part of this methodology shall bespecific strategies for the coordinated use of existing job training programsat the local level, including federal and state job training funds, and theprivate industry councils. The elimination of duplication of services and theenhancing of access to existing agencies shall be the primary goals of thesestrategies. The department of social services shall also develop strategiesfor contracting at the community level with public agencies and privatenot-for-profit organizations, community action agencies, for the delivery ofservices to promote self-sufficiency; such services may include the provisionof child care, transportation, employment-readiness, and job training. Themethodology of the department of social services should include, but need notbe limited to:
(1) An inventory of community strengths and weaknesses, including theavailability of community services, businesses and individual volunteers;
(2) Assessing the potential for local residents, given sufficienttraining and financial support, to provide for improved community services andbusinesses;
(3) Provision of staff resources needed to help identify and informlocal residents about the program, organize public meetings, develop localleadership and gain the commitment of local residents for the success of theproject; and
(4) Giving preference to projects that would include small businessesmanaged or owned by local residents. The director of the department of social services shall establish pilotprograms that promote local authority and decision making. The department ofsocial services shall give local communities, to the maximum extent possible,authority to direct assistance in conjunction with local resources to providenew and innovative ways of assisting people living in poverty.
4. The department of social services shall accept applications and workwith other agencies, subject to appropriation, to establish a pilot project ina city not within a county to develop and implement an alternativeneighborhood, community-based program for disadvantaged youths known as the"Youth Build St. Louis" program.
5. Communities should submit a community revitalization plan to thedepartment of social services designed to strengthen local systems of supportand provide economic incentives for investment in the community.
6. Local resources shall be identified in the plan which shall be usedto expand the community's capacity to sustain residents' self-sufficiency.The plan should be tailored to the community and should build on existinginitiatives and service delivery systems.
7. Community agencies which may include community action agencies asdefined in section 660.370, RSMo, shall be used to manage revitalizationprograms and support system development.
8. Community revitalization plans should include, but not be limited to,the following components:
(1) Community cooperatives which expand the capacity to meet basic needssuch as child care;
(2) Transportation strategies, which make better use of existingtransportation resources through multisystem use and coordination;
(3) Health care strategies which maximize available resources for thehealth and safety of the individuals residing in the community;
(4) Community support and volunteer involvement, which maximize humanresources and provide residents the opportunity to reinvest in theirneighborhoods, volunteer service banks, mentoring and adolescent-specificprograms may be included;
(5) Service integration, which improves efficacy and facilitates aneeds-based approach to service delivery. Service integration should includecommon intake and referral strategies;
(6) Economic revitalization, which creates an environment of opportunityand growth. Neighborhood assistance programs and other economic developmenttools, such as investment incentives should be identified;
(7) Private sector involvement and investment, which ensures theviability of the community is self-sustaining and involves the totalcommunity. Community representation and private sector commitments should bespecified;
(8) Prevention, which gives families in need of short-term assistancethe resources necessary to avoid long-term dependency.
9. Communities receiving assistance to implement a revitalization planshould be provided with the following resources:
(1) Flexible funding, to facilitate the initial organization ofcommunity resources and agencies for the purpose of plan implementation;
(2) Technical assistance, for the development of unified intake,referral and service delivery strategies, and communication network systems;
(3) Expanded options, subject to waiver approval, such as wagesupplementation and resource and income disregards for welfare recipients toincrease the probability of economic independence;
(4) Evaluation of results, to monitor system effectiveness and programimpact.
10. The provisions of this section shall be implemented as waiversnecessary to ensure continued federal funding are received.
