There is no singular path to economic security for everyone, particularly for vulnerable populations such as those who are unemployed, underemployed, homeless, or at imminent risk of homelessness.
Programs that work with participants to build assets as well as personal and financial skills should be designed with this tenet in mind. In order to be effective, asset building programs must empower individuals and families to create their own unique and realistic paths to economic security instead of prescribing a "one size fits all" model.
HHCS Asset Building programs appreciate unique financial challenges, adapt to varied circumstances, and allow for individual financial goals. This kind of adaptive approach is essential in creating lasting positive change.
Since 2006 481 participants have graduated from our 12-hour workshop series, 283 of whom have saved over $122,000 of their own money and earned savings matches of over $80,000, for a total of over $202,000 in savings.
In 2011, more than 2,000 Chicagoans participated in one of our Wealth & Wellness workshops; 93 percent of them reported finding the information “very helpful.”
