Community Action Agency

Community Action Agency, a Jackson, Michigan-based tax-exempt nonprofit and community development corporation, is a federal grant recipient delivering homelessness prevention, housing stability, early childhood education, and supportive services to low-income populations across Michigan. The organization operates primarily as a direct grant recipient (81% of recent awards), with supplementary sub-recipient work through state intermediaries including the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Michigan Department of Education, and Michigan State Housing Development Authority.

Community Action Agency's federal grant portfolio centers on three core capability areas. First, homelessness interventions dominate the footprint: the organization holds multiple Continuum of Care (CoC) Program awards (CFDA 14.267) from HUD's Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, including $193,435 and $336,359 project grants (both May 2026 award dates, running through April and September 2027) that fund permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, transitional housing, supportive services, and Homeless Management Information Systems operations. Second, the organization delivers Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) grants (CFDA 64.033) from the Department of Veterans Affairs, with a $1.294 million award (September 2025) providing outreach, case management, VA benefits assistance, and temporary financial assistance for rental, utility, childcare, and transportation support to very low-income veteran families. Third, Community Action Agency holds a $10.86 million Head Start and Early Head Start project grant (CFDA 93.600) from HHS Office of Head Start, effective July 2025 through June 2030, delivering comprehensive early childhood education, health and nutritional services, and family support across Michigan.

HUD dominates customer concentration: the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development has issued 102 awards (51% of the portfolio), with secondary concentration in the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration (14 awards), HHS Administration for Children and Families (25 awards combined across two distinct office codes), and HUD's Assistant Secretary for Housing Federal Housing Commissioner (13 awards). Together these four customer offices account for 77% of recent awards. The organization has also secured awards from the Internal Revenue Service for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Matching Grant Program (CFDA 21.009), delivering $100,000 in matching grants for free tax preparation and filing services to low- to moderate-income Michigan residents, with awards in October 2025 and October 2024.

As a sub-recipient, Community Action Agency flows federal funds from state pass-through agencies: the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services channels Community Services Block Grant (CFDA 93.569), WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor, and Medicaid Community Development Lead Hazard Control funds through Community Action Agency; the Michigan Department of Education passes USDA program support; and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority awards Community Action Agency fiduciary and Youth Navigation agency roles managing Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and Continuum of Care coordination funds ($86,628 for youth navigation in Branch, Cass, Hillsdale, and St. Joseph counties, effective October 2024 through September 2026; $269,629 for Jackson County CoC fiduciary administration).

Activity has grown steadily over the past five years — from 13 awards in 2022 to a peak of 22 in 2024 — with 2025 moderating to 17 and 2026 showing 6 awards to date (representing a partial-year snapshot). Ten awards face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, representing recompete exposure in the CoC, VITA, and SSVF programs. The organization's combined obligated dollars across all federal sources stand at $287.4 million, reflecting its scale as a multi-program nonprofit delivering housing, income support, and early-childhood services across Michigan's balance-of-state and urban CoC jurisdictions.