Other Statewide Initiatives

A new policy conversation is taking hold at the state level. Leaders across the nation understand that American families need more than just a paycheck to build lifelong financial security. They need public policies, along with private sector tools, to help them build assets that can provide economic stability today, a cushion for tough times, and confidence in their futures.

The following states are frontrunners in this asset-building discussion. They are creating tools, models and best practices that will drive policy change in state capitols across the nation.

Alaska
Asset Building Initiative of Alaska

Arkansas
Southern Good Faith Fund

California
Asset Policy Initiative of California (APIC)

Delaware
Governor’s Task Force for Financial Independence

Hawaii
Ho’owaiwai Asset Policy Initiative

Illinois
Illinois Asset Building Group

Kansas & Missouri
MOKANSAVE

Kentucky
Cradle to College

Michigan
Asset Building Policy Project

Oregon
Oregon Housing and Community Services

Pennsylvania
Governor’s Task Force for Working Families

Resources

Assets and Opportunity Scorecard

CFED, 2005.

Wealth-Building Strategies and Models: State Asset Building Initiatives

Community-Wealth.org is a project of The Democracy Collaborative at the Univerisity of Maryland.

State Policy Options for Building Assets

Leslie Parrish, Heather McCulloch, Karen Edwards, Gena Gunn. New America Foundation and Center for Social Development at Washington University, June 2006.

State Policy Options to Encourage Asset Development for Low-Income Families

Linda Hoffman. National Governor’s Association Center for Best Practices, February 2006.

State-level Individual Development (IDA) Policy: Opportunities and Challenges for Rural Areas

Karen Edwards and Jon Bailey. Center for Social Development at Washington University, 2006.

Innovative State Policies to Reduce Poverty and Expand the Middle Class: Building Asset Security Among Low-income Households

Sandra Venner with Janet Boguslas and Daphne Lamson Hunt. Brandeis University, December 2005.

Promoting Economic Security for Working Families: State Asset-Building Initiatives

Heather McCulloch. Fannie Mae Foundation, July 2005.

Housing Facts & Findings, Vol. 7, No. 2

Fannie Mae Foundation, July 2005

Community Investments: Special Issue on Building Assets

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, May 2005.