The Facts
	» About one of every four residents of the region are a paycheck away from being out on the street » Metro Detroit ranks No. 6 nationally in the rate of foreclosures, with one in every 68 households receiving a foreclosure filing during the first quarter of 2008 » More than half a million Southeast Michigan residents live below the poverty level

Increasing stability across the region
Everyone in our region needs to be able to support themselves, which means being smart with money, owning a home and saving for retirement. One of the best solutions to our region’s unstable economic condition is to get more people financially stable and out of distress, which will make southeast Michigan a more desirable place to live and work. We will help residents become financially independent by working to:

• Increase income
• Build savings
• Gain and sustain assets

Income Programming

AEI’s Bank on Southeast Michigan is an FDIC national initiative committed to collaboration to bring banking services to all of Southeastern Michigan’s communities. United Way is working with partners locally to help underserved populations access asset-building resources. Learn more about the program.

United Way and Detroit LISC launched The Center for Working Families in the fall of 2008. The program helps families build assets by providing coordinated one- on-one services like financial and career coaching. Learn more about the program.

As part of the Regional Asset Building Coalition, United Way recruits nearly 100 volunteer tax preparers for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Initiative. This initiative helped complete returns for low-income individuals this past season. The EITC provides a rebate of up to $4,700 for eligible tax filers. Learn more about the program.

To date, 221 Individual Development Account (IDA) participants have used their savings and matching funds provided by United Way on 94 home mortgages, 25 new or expanded businesses and 102 educational purchases. Learn more about the program.