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Asset Building Tools and Resources
 Action Kit on Helping Families Achieve Financial Stability (2008)
This action kit for municipal leaders focuses on steps that city officials can take to help families avoid debt and predatory lending, save and build assets, and achieve long-term financial stability.
The kit describes four key components of a comprehensive asset-building agenda: providing financial education; expanding access to savings and benefits; protecting family assets; and promoting and protecting homeownership. The kit also includes city examples, facts about families' financial stability and additional resources.
Download the Action Kit »
 Maximizing the Earned Income Tax Credit in Your Community: A Toolkit for Municipal Leaders (2004)
This Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) toolkit was created to help municipal leaders maximize the potential impact of the EITC by ensuring that eligible families have the information and assistance they need to claim these tax credits.
Based on the latest research and best practices from across the nation, this toolkit includes concrete ideas for action, city examples, roles for local elected officials, a sample timeline for activities, sample outreach campaign materials, and other national resources.
View the EITC Toolkit »
 Action Kit on Helping Working Families
This action kit for municipal leaders focuses on outreach steps to assist low-income working families in accessing benefits such as the Child Health Insurance Program, food stamps, and the Earned Income Tax Credit.
This action kit describes steps that local elected officials can take to help working families by developing city-led outreach campaigns, including how to get started, proven outreach strategies, and background information and suggestions on places you can turn for help to start you on your way.
Download the Action Kit »
 Combating Poverty: Emerging Strategies from the Nation's Cities (2008)
This report highlights local poverty reduction strategies from 13 cities across the nation. The survey responses compiled in the report demonstrate how municipal leaders are well-positioned to lead citywide initiatives to reduce poverty.
Common themes highlighted in the report include municipal efforts to: create a coordinating entity to sustain progress over time; select specific targets for action; target vulnerable populations or neighborhoods; and push beyond traditional boundaries.
View the Combating Poverty Report »
Strengthening Families in America's Cities: Family Economic Security (2003)
Research findings published in this report are from NLC's Strengthening Families in America's Cities Survey of municipal officials, which examined issues affecting children and families in American cities and towns.
Among the findings are that homeownership incentives and transportation improvements are the strategies cities are most likely to use to improve family economic security; city leaders consider a wide range of strategies to be effective; and most officials say job training and education are effective in helping low-income families.
Download the Report »
Resource Materials from the Cities Helping Families Build Assets Project (2006)
These resource materials were used at the cross-site meetings and site visits for cities participating in the asset building site visits. Topics include financial education (from the site visit to Phoenix, October 2005), homeownership counseling and incentives (Baltimore, November 2005), asset accumulation and savings campaigns (Indianapolis, February 2006), asset protection (Miami, March 2006), and connecting families to mainstream financial services (San Francisco, June 2006)
View Financial Education Resources »
View Homeownership Resources »
View Asset Accumulation Resources »
View Asset Protection Resources »
View Mainstream Financial Services Resources »
 Nation's Cities Weekly Articles
NLC's Nation's Cities Weekly newspaper regularly features articles on how city leaders are helping families achieve financial stability.
View the Nation's Cities Weekly Archives for Articles About Family Economic Success »
Audioconference Transcripts
The YEF Institute's monthly audioconference series features talk-show style discussions between Institute staff, national experts, and city leaders to highlight best practices in a broad range of program areas. The Institute makes transcripts of these calls available for local officials who are unable to dial into the calls.
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