Trump budget would eliminate community service funding

For nearly 60 years, Community Action Agencies across Massachusetts have worked to empower individuals and families — not just by meeting immediate needs, but by providing the tools, skills, and support needed to achieve long-term stability and self-sufficiency. Whether you’ve worked with or only heard of your local Community Action Agency, you should know that 23 agencies across the Commonwealth, including Community Teamwork, play a vital role in the health and resilience of our communities. Right now, that role — and the essential services they provide — is under threat.

Through early education and care (Head Start), energy and weatherization programs, housing assistance, job training, financial coaching, support for seniors, and more, agencies like Community Teamwork in Lowell serve as the backbone for vulnerable residents across Massachusetts. From urban and suburban neighborhoods to rural towns, we help families meet basic needs and work toward long-term goals.

We are not a handout — we are a hand up.

In collaboration with local businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies, we connect thousands of hard-working families each year to the resources they need to overcome the challenges of poverty. Still, the need is great. Over 700,000 Massachusetts residents — about 10.4% — live below the federal poverty line. In Lowell, it is even greater, with 2023 data showing that 14.9%, or one in every 7 people, are living below the poverty line. These individuals are our neighbors, our co-workers, and our friends. They may be seniors struggling with rising utility bills, families facing eviction, or children who go to school hungry. Community Action Agencies are there for them every day — but we cannot do it without federal support.

The Community Services Block Grant program — or CSBG — was established in 1981 on a simple idea: local communities are better suited to address poverty than a tip-down, one-size-fits-all federal program. CSBG funds are granted to states and delivered through Community Action Agencies, trusted locally-led organizations tasked with fighting for hard working Americans facing barriers to financial stability, and Agencies are held accountable through regular reporting, ensuring the most efficient use of taxpayer dollars.

In 2024, Massachusetts received $75 million in Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funding — an essential investment that allows agencies to be responsive, innovative, and local in their approach. CSBG doesn’t just help one family — it multiplies impact by allowing agencies to braid other funding sources and serve more people more effectively. It powers everything from emergency fuel assistance to family stabilization, and from workforce development to opening accessible Resource Centers — like the one Community Teamwork now uses to help more than 100 individuals daily with personalized, holistic care.

Beyond human services, Community Action Agencies are powerful economic engines. Each year, Community Teamwork alone channels millions of federal and state dollars directly into our local economy — supporting small businesses like fuel providers, general contractors, childcare centers, and property owners. These investments don’t just stabilize families — they sustain local jobs and strengthen the economic infrastructure of entire communities. Every weatherization upgrade, housing voucher, and energy assistance check helps ensure our local economy continues to thrive.

But this critical work is at risk.

Any pause or reduction in federal funding would have catastrophic consequences. Services would be cut. Jobs would be lost. Families would be left out in the cold — literally. The elimination of programs like emergency energy assistance would be devastating, particularly for our most vulnerable residents.

Community Action has always been a wise and effective investment. Our programs are transparent, locally governed, and results-driven. Losing that would mean turning our backs on those striving every day to overcome hardship and create a better life. Now more than ever, we need our federal and state partners to stay the course. We

call on community members, local leaders, and policymakers to raise their voices and protect these vital programs. Continued federal investment means continued hope and opportunity for people across Massachusetts and Greater Lowell.

Let’s not turn away from those who need us most. Let’s continue to believe in the power of building stronger, more resilient communities for us all.

Carl Howell is the chief executive officer of Community Teamwork, Inc. in Lowell, MA.