Yolo County

Purpose

Established under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, the Yolo County Community Services Action Board (CSAB) serves as the region’s Community Action Agency (CAA). Created by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the CAAs were part of his “War on Poverty” initiative.  

At present, nearly 1,000 CAAs exist throughout the United States, covering approximately 96 percent of the nation’s counties.  The federal government connects CAAs through a vast network of associations including regional associations, state associations, a national association, a national lobbying organization, and a national association of Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) administrators. 

Mission: CSAB’s mission is to combat poverty by promoting the health, safety, stability, and self-sufficiency of low-income persons residing in Yolo County.  

Roles and Responsibilities

In Yolo County, CSAB serves as an advisory body to the Yolo County Board of Supervisors. One of its primary functions is to make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors regarding the provision of Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) funds, which is the core-funding source for CAAs. As such, the roles and responsibilities of CSAB include:

• Conducting a biannual community needs assessment
• Establishing strategic goals in alignment with the board’s mission
• Evaluating the implementation and achievement of the board’s goals
• Overseeing the subcontracting process
• Monitoring the performance of subcontractors
• Serving as advocates for Yolo County residents living in poverty

For more information about the board’s roles and responsibilities, please read CSAB’s Bylaws.

Membership 

CSAB membership is comprised of a diverse coalition of stakeholders from throughout the region. Pursuant to federal mandates, CSAB maintains a tripartite membership including: 

• 3 representatives of the low-income population (may be low-income persons, or persons working for an organization serving the low-income population)
• 3 representatives of each Board of Supervisor district (must be appointed by the applicable Supervisor) 
• 3 representatives of local civic/community based organizations

The current board has several vacancies. If you are interested in serving on CSAB, please complete this online form. You may also print and complete this standard application and submit it to the Yolo County Board of Supervisors’ Office, 625 Court Street, Room 204, Woodland, CA 95695. For questions regarding membership on the CSAB, please email Kerrie Covert-Manager: Email: kerrie.covert@yolocounty.org, (530)-908-3977 and or Pete Vargas-Lead Analyst on CSAB (530)-704-2393 Email:, pete.vargas@yolocounty.org

CSAB Partners

Every other year, CSAB in conjunction with the County, issues a Request for Proposal (RFP) to subcontract with various community partners. Together, CSAB, the County, and its community partners use the CSBG funds to assist Yolo County residents living in poverty. The priorities for funding depend on CSAB’s most recent community needs assessment.   

For 2022-2023, CSAB’s partners include:

• Fourth and Hope
• To provide emergency shelter to persons experiencing homelessness
• Yolo County Children’s Alliance
• To provide housing navigation services to persons experiencing homelessness

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