ABC has developed and is implementing a strategy to work with employers and unions to offer public benefits and asset building services to lower-wage employees. The aims are to increase the financial resources of employees and improve retention and productivity. This ABC Action Team is led by the City of Seattle’s PeoplePoint initiative, the Seattle-King County Workforce Development Council, and Washington Appleseed.
PeoplePoint provides one-stop access to multiple locally-, state- and federally-funded public benefits including energy/utility assistance, basic food assistance, childcare subsidies and preschool, health insurance, and referrals to EITC/free tax preparation, financial services (via Bank on Seattle-King County), financial education, job training, and other asset building services. We are bringing PeoplePoint benefits directly to employees at their worksites.
In addition, ten other ABC organizations are offering financial education workshops and follow up asset building services to employees at their worksites. Topics we have offered include foreclosure prevention and homeownership, budgeting and money management, credit repair and credit building, managing debt, avoiding predatory lending and access to financial services, buying and financing a car, and increasing savings through matched savings programs.
