"I sat at my kitchen table every other week. I make a list. I never have enough to pay for everything on time. I try to prioritize and rotate. If I pay something, they will not turn me off. I do this week after week, year after year."
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"For me financial stability is the comfort of knowing I have money to take care of any medical situation and put money into a college fund for my kids."
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"Being rich is not the same as being financially stable. Being stable means you have a balance in your life."
-- Responses from discussion group participants
Across the country, state and local collaborative initiatives are being formed to offer a multi-facet approach to asset building and generate support for a comprehensive asset policy agenda. These initiatives are building an infrastructure of understanding, commitment and support back by research and practical experience. Coalitions are forming unifying diverse stakeholders such as elected officials, public agency staff, policy advocates, provider agencies, foundations, business and financial institutions, and community leaders behind a message with bi-partisan appeal.
The Massachusetts Asset Policy Initiative (MAPI) is a mult-year undertaking of the Institute on Assets and Social Policy to build the infrastructure needed to generate a long-term, collaborative initiative to move a comprehensive asset policy agenda in the state. It operates on the premise that the work required for building public support for new asset policies and resources requires not only research and information, but also the building of an infrastructure of understanding, commitment and support. IASP is facilitating dialogue and providing expertise to build capacity among policy and issue-driven organizations and constituencies and community-based groups, to realize shared policy interests within the broad umbrella of asset building.
The Institute has worked closely with key organizations and constituencies to launch the legislatively created Massachusetts Asset Development Commission. IASP had a seat on the Commission which recently presented its recommendation for promising policy and programmatic changes to move families up the economic ladder. With support from The Hyams Foundation, IASP conducted research and data analysis, coordinated community engagement, and prepared the Progress and Final Reports of the Commission.
The groundwork has been laid for an asset-building agenda for Massachusetts that will continue to be an iterative process combining administrative action, legislative proposals, stakeholder pressure, and advocacy where needed. IASP will continue to work with a network of organizations to transform the recommendations of the Commission into a reality that promotes asset building opportunities for low and moderate income families in Massachusetts.
Efforts in Massachusetts are drawing on the Institute's prior experience helping to launch an asset initiative in Illinois and on lessons learned from other states. Research documents developed by IASP summarize the activities of state level asset building initiatives in other states and analyze the asset formation role of over 40 policies in Massachusetts.
For more information about this project please contact Sandra Venner or phone 781-736-8688.
© 2009, Institute on Assets and Social Policy, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University. All rights are reserved.
