Objectives:

¨ To link hard-working and low-wealth households to economic independence programs, economic building services, and family support services.

¨ To provide hard-working and low-wealth households the skills to manage their money, save for the future, and build assets.

¨ To provide access to services that working families might not know otherwise exist, such as budgeting and educational classes, food stamp applications, down payment assistance programs, and small business start-up.

Strategy:

¨ Increasing the number of eligible households that apply for the EITC

¨ Improving the credit scores of households that receive credit counseling

¨ Increasing the number of households that are screened for eligible economic, health and human services benefits

¨ Increasing the rate of home ownership among working families

¨ Increasing the number of small business ownership among working families

¨ Increasing the number of households that save and their level of household savings

¨ Stabilizing families through family crisis management

¨ Increasing the levels of educational attainment among targeted populations

¨ Providing people with disabilities with counseling and education about benefits and the impact on employment

¨ Providing senior citizens with legal services on predatory lending practices.