Reducing Poverty by integrating Financial Empowerment into Social Services

1. Reducing Poverty by integrating Financial Empowerment into Social Services Partnerships for Financial Inclusion April 29, 2014 Richard Keith, Assistant Director City of San Antonio Department of Human Services richard.keith@sanantonio.gov

2. San Antonio: City government providing services to improve resident lives • Emergency rental and utility assistance • Homeless prevention • Long-term job training and case management • Foreclosure prevention • Head Start wrap-around services • Café College: college access guidance • VITA • SaveUSA • Financial Empowerment Center 2

3. Integrated Services: Helping Clients Achieve Better Outcomes • ‘Supervitamin effect’ - pairing financial counseling with other assistance programs • Clients gain skills to achieve long-term financial stability, such as the following: • Building and maintaining a personal budget • Avoiding predatory loans • Establishing a safe, affordable bank account • Learning to problem-solve current financial crises • Clients with stable financial situations are less likely to need ongoing government services 3

4. Integrated Services: Ms. Gonzalez • University student, lives with disabled mother, uses leftover financial aid to pay for household expenses, borrowed high interest loans in financial crises • City provided utility bill assistance and financial assistance with tuition costs • Financial Empowerment Center helped prioritize expenses on a limited budget, reduced debt, improved credit, and provided referrals to other community resources • Results: Ms. Gonzalez is now financially stabilized, has increased household income to help with school and is better prepared to achieve financial success after graduation 3

5. Why Financial Counseling? • Financial industry provides advice for people with resources to pay for service • Financial products that serve low-income population are predatory • Identified need for no-cost, high-quality, individualized financial counseling 3

6. Cities Helping Cities: The Power of Coalition • Cities for Financial Empowerment Coalition created in 2008 with 6 members • San Antonio has worked with other member cities to carefully compare best practices and challenges faced • Together the CFE cities are raising the standards for municipal financial empowerment efforts • The CFE also provides financial and technical support for programs such as Financial Empowerment Centers 3

7. Moving Forward • Measure program impact • Work with partners to analyze client data to demonstrate impact on their clients’ outcomes • Identify potential municipal funding sources • FY 2015 Delegate Agency Request for Proposals • Community Services Block Grant • Continue community integration • Identify additional community partners • Coordinate with community college to develop standardized local credentials for financial counselors 3

8. Reducing Poverty through Integrated Services Partnerships for Financial Inclusion April 29, 2014 Richard Keith, Assistant Director City of San Antonio Department of Human Services richard.keith@sanantonio.gov