UCHRA Seeking Regional Input On Services Needed

UCHRA is looking for residents across the region to take its Community Needs Assessment to help focus service efforts.

Community Services Assistant Director Megan Spurgeon said UCHRA wants input from citizens, elected officials, law enforcement and more. Spurgeon said services are often tied to a certain poverty level, however that has expanded during the pandemic.

“If someone is technically over that cap, maybe they’re upper-lower class or lower-middle class and there’s not a lot of services available for them,” Spurgeon said. “We want to be a resource for that group as well and connect them with different community partners that may be able to assist them.”

Spurgeon said affordable housing and quality job opportunities were the biggest need in the Upper Cumberland last year. Spurgeon said that the survey is open through July on UCHRA’s Facebook and website.

“Currently we still have a large amount of funding available for COVID,” Spurgeon said. “Individuals that have been affected financially through COVID, we have funding available for them and also resources for them.”

Spurgeon said the survey is only 10 questions, some being open answer and some being yes or no. She said that at the same time, UCHRA customers are being surveyed in-house.

“As they’re coming in the doors or riding our vans or other services they’re receiving and additional gaps that they have,” Spurgeon said. “So based on that information that we pull together we develop that community action plan. Which tells us where we want to focus our efforts for our CSBG funding.”