Economic Inclusion

HUD: Secretary Carson Kicks Off Envision Center Demonstration in Detroit

Centralized hubs to help HUD-assisted households become self-sufficient U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson traveled to his hometown of Detroit today to announce the first round of ‘EnVision Center’ designations in 17 communities around the nation.  One of Secretary Carson’s signature initiatives, EnVision Centers will offer HUD-assisted families access to support services…

Federal Reserve: Board Issues Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households

The Federal Reserve Board’s latest Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households finds that economic well-being has generally improved over the past five years. The report notes that 74 percent of adults reported they were doing at least OK financially in 2017‑‑up 10 percentage points from the first survey in 2013. Even so, notable…

HUD: New “HUD Strong Families” Initiative Launched

Effort helps strengthen family ties while promoting economic empowerment, educational opportunities, and health resourcese WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced it will launch HUD Strong Families, a new effort in coordination with Public Housing Authorities (PHAs), federal partners, and service organizations to support families living in HUD-assisted housing…

ABA: Community Commitment Awards Submissions Currently Open with ABA Foundation

Deadline for entries is June 29  The American Bankers Association Foundation is requesting submissions for its annual Community Commitment Awards to recognize banks’ essential involvement in their communities. The awards will honor innovative, high-impact bank programs that improve the quality of life for the customers and communities they serve. The entry period will extend to…

OCC: Recognizing National Financial Capability Month at Capitol Hill

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) recognized National Financial Capability Month by participating in the annual Jump$tart Coalition Financial Literacy Day on Capitol Hill event today. OCC staff distributed materials to assist banks with their financial inclusion activities, including the agency’s Financial Literacy Update. Staff also highlighted the OCC’s HelpWithMyBank.gov website, which…

CDFI Fund: Revised Opportunity Zones Resource Data Now Available

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has released revised information concerning census tracts that are eligible for nomination as Qualified Opportunity Zones (QOZs). Specifically, data in the Opportunity Zones Information Resource has been updated from information provided in a February 8, 2018, release to include all census tracts that meet the New Markets Tax Credit…

HUD: $35 Million Awarded to Promote Jobs, Self-Sufficiency for Public Housing Residents

In an effort to help low-income residents become self-sufficient, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded $34.9 million to public housing authorities, public housing resident associations, Native American tribes, and non-profit organizations across the nation to hire or retain service coordinators to help them find jobs, educational opportunities, and achieve economic…

Federal Reserve: From Income to Consumption Inequality? Looking through the Lens of Motor Vehicle Purchases

Wendy Dunn and Maria D. Tito1 Rising income inequality in the United States over the past several decades has been well documented in the economics literature.2 Recent studies have also looked at the dispersion in consumption, since it more accurately captures disparities in economic well-being. Here, however, the findings are mixed–while some authors find the…

Federal Reserve: New Interactive Data Tools Added to Website for the Financial Accounts of the United States

The Federal Reserve Board on Thursday added three new tools to its web site to provide interactive access to data from the Board’s Financial Accounts of the United States (Z.1) release, which tracks the aggregate wealth of U.S. households and other economic sectors. The data visualization tools show, at a glance, the evolution of key…