WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to include a trauma-informed amendment prior to passing the bipartisan Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Modernization Act of 2022 (H.R. 5129), which is the only federal program with the explicit and overarching goal to reduce poverty, regardless of its cause.
The CSBG fights poverty with over 1,000 Community Action Agencies (CAA) in 99 percent of America’s counties. It continues to be funded each year through appropriations bills, and it has not been reauthorized since 1998. This bill would reauthorize the block grant for the next 10 years and allows CAAs to serve a wider range of community members.
The Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP) supported Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) in introducing an amendment that directs CSBG to revise the eligible uses of funds to include state and local partnerships that promote healthy communities through the prevention and mitigation of trauma.
In response, CTIPP applauded the U.S. House and thanked the amendment’s sponsor:
“Applying a trauma-informed approach to help reduce and prevent poverty is long overdue,” said Jesse Kohler, executive director of CTIPP. “Living in poverty is overwhelmingly stressful and can reinforce cycles of trauma, which can then perpetuate ongoing and intergenerational poverty. We need to meet the deeper needs that coincide with the chronic stress associated with not having enough. The passage of this amendment is a big step forward toward reducing poverty and improving health for individuals, families, and communities. We thank Congresswoman Pressley for her work.”
The Community Services Block Grant Modernization Act of 2022 now heads to the U.S. Senate.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates (2020) that 37.2 million (11.4%) Americans live in poverty, approximately 3.3 million more than in 2019. Poverty rates for people under the age of 18 increased from 14.4 percent in 2019 to 16.1 percent in 2020. Poverty rates also increased for people aged 18 to 64 from 9.4 percent in 2019 to 10.4 percent in 2020.
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The Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP) is a national nonprofit committed to creating a trauma-informed society where individuals, families, and communities have the support and resources necessary to thrive. Through advocacy, policy, and education, CTIPP is building a movement that integrates trauma-informed, resilience-focused, and healing-centered prevention, intervention, and treatment approaches across all sectors and generations.