Nearly half (44%) of households in major American cities are financially vulnerable
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Building Financial Resilience in America

#AssetsCount

Partners

A project of CFED in partnership with Citi Community Development.

What We Do

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Financially vulnerable households are without assets or adequate savings to cover basic expenses for three months in the event of an emergency, such as a job loss or health crisis. With little recourse but to borrow, these “liquid asset poor” working families can get caught in a vicious cycle of debt. The inability to bounce back from financial pitfalls is not only a detriment to families but also to the economic growth of the cities in which they live.

Family Assets Count is a new approach to expanding financial security that combines cutting-edge data with tools for building coalitions that enable the creation of more effective partnerships and solutions to household financial vulnerability in America.

Family Assets Count builds on the CFED Assets and Opportunity Local Data Center by providing never-before available local estimates of household asset and liquid asset poverty. The project advances data-driven municipal strategies by collaborating with leading asset building coalitions, community groups, public officials, private sector and philanthropic leaders to:

Identify and convene cross-sector allies.

Develop local data profiles that quantify the state of financial security amongst residents and illustrate the depth of asset poverty with new measures.

Develop recommendations for local strategies to advance financial security.

Communicate data and promote solutions in local media venues.

Encourage and support municipal leaders in their efforts to champion implementation of identified strategies.

Publications/Media

Family Assets Count: Powering Municipal Action with Data (CFED)

Assets & Opportunity Local Data Center
Mapping Tool

Discover the state of asset poverty and banked households for thousands of cities and counties across the country.

Visit Mapping Tool

Cities

Over the next two years, Family Assets Count will work in ten cities, starting in Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, and Sacramento, to inform programs and policies that move families into economic resilience.

Boston

Informing a new citywide economic opportunity policy agenda.

Chicago

Building on local momentum and equipping champions with new data.

Houston

Attracting new partners for building assets.

Miami

Supporting new affordable financial products with new data.

Sacramento

Changing the conversation about income inequality.

Los Angeles

Washington, D.C.

Oakland

Baltimore

Newark

Newsroom


“Too many families lack the savings and assets to withstand a financial emergency.”
- Huffington Post
“None of us can make progress on entrenched, complex issues such as poverty and income inequality alone. Our approach is to have multiple services and partners available in one location to work with individuals, coach them toward financial stability, and ensure that their children and families are also connected to other services they may need to thrive.”
- The Boston Globe

Click here for a complete list of stories covering Family Assets Count.

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