Brandon Harley, CEO of Audubon Area Community Services, is urging local leaders and residents to speak out against proposed federal budget cuts that he says could dismantle critical safety net programs for thousands of families across northwestern Kentucky.
At the center of his concern is the proposed elimination of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), a flexible federal program that supports more than 1,000 community action agencies across the country, including Audubon Area.
“CSBG has been the fundamental funding mechanism for community action agencies for decades,” Harley said. “It’s designed to remove barriers to self-sufficiency and help people living in poverty get back on their feet. It’s flexible, and that flexibility allows us to meet real community needs.”
Audubon Area uses CSBG to support a broad range of services, from direct financial assistance for utilities and food to startup funding for new programs. Harley said the grant played a critical role in launching the Audubon Community Care Clinic in 2017 by helping fund its electronic health record system.
“CSBG allows us to leverage dollars to develop other outreach areas,” he said. “It’s helped us supplement programs like LIHEAP (Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program) or run special projects in Head Start. It’s a small piece of our budget in dollar amount, but it’s incredibly impactful.”
Audubon receives a little over $500,000 annually in CSBG funds, Harley said. But, he said that money carries a big footprint because it helps the organization support everything from emergency housing assistance to workforce development and early childhood education. The grant’s elimination, he said, would force a reimagining of Audubon’s mission.
“We’d be recentering from a holistic approach to poverty to a more single-mission focus,” Harley said. “And that’s not how poverty works. People don’t just need food or just housing. They need support on multiple fronts.”
The White House’s proposed fiscal year 2026 “skinny budget” targets CSBG for complete elimination, according to Harley. He said it also proposes deep cuts to LIHEAP and the Weatherization Assistance Program, which help families maintain livable homes. Though these programs are not part of the recently passed “Big Beautiful Bill,” Harley said they are expected to come up during the next congressional appropriations cycle.
“These aren’t just budget decisions — they’re value statements,” Harley said. “When funding disappears, programs vanish. And when programs vanish, families suffer.”
Audubon’s services include:
- Emergency food, housing, and utility assistance
- Job training programs for SNAP and Kentucky Works participants
- Healthcare access for more than 1,600 patients a year
- Recovery support for 250+ men through Owensboro Regional Recovery
- Affordable housing for over 450 families
- Head Start and Early Head Start education
- GRITS transportation service, covering 22 counties
Harley said cuts to CSBG wouldn’t just affect services — they could also have ripple effects throughout the local economy. With over 700 employees, Audubon Area is one of the region’s larger employers, and its spending circulates directly through communities.
“When we assist families behind on utility bills through LIHEAP, for example, we’re contributing to OMU and Kenergy,” Harley said. “If that funding disappears, it could eventually affect rates for all of us.”
Beyond the dollars and cents, Harley said what’s most important is the voice CSBG gives to low-income residents. The program requires a tripartite board structure that includes public officials, community representatives, and people who either are or represent those receiving services.
“That governance structure ensures we’re not dictating services from an office in Owensboro,” Harley said. “We’re hearing what’s actually needed in each of the seven counties we serve.”
Harley called on Kentuckians to reach out to their elected officials — at both the state and federal level — and advocate for the preservation of CSBG and related programs.
“Sometimes the voices of the marginalized aren’t as loud, and they get drowned out,” he said. “But these programs are lifelines. They keep people warm, housed, fed, and moving forward.”
