Policy Highlights
Read more about our key federal legislative efforts below.
The Assets for Independence (AFI) program is the primary source of federal funding for individual development accounts (IDAs). Reauthorizing AFI would make much needed changes to the program and help thousands of low-income households save for asset purchases such as a home, retirement, education or business.
Action Opportunities:
• Urge your legislators to support The Stephanie Tubbs Jones Assets for Independence Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1623)
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CFED supports strengthening and reforming the Saver’s Credit to enable millions of Americans to receive an additional incentive to build their savings and enhance their financial security.
Action Opportunities:
• Learn more about CFED’s proposed recommendations
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Contact your legislators to support an expanded Saver’s Credit
• Join the Saver’s Credit Alliance
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Manufactured housing done right can open the door to homeownership for low-income families. CFED’s manufactured housing policy priorities help families that choose manufactured homes receive the benefits as other homeowners.
Action Opportunities:
• Visit the I’M HOME Advocacy Center to access resource guides, policy briefs and federal advocacy tools
• Learn about how federal agencies can support manufactured housing
• Visit our national partners, ROC USA and Next Step
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Entrepreneurship is not only the foundation of economic growth, it also plays a critical role in the economic mobility of low- and moderate-income households. CFED supports policies that enable low- and moderate-income entrepreneurs to access training and financing for their businesses, as well as efforts to integrate entrepreneurship training into relevant federal programs.
Action Opportunities:
• Learn about microenterprise as an anti-poverty strategy
• Ask your legislatorsto support federal funding for microenterprise by supporting startup businesses and entrepreneurs needing tax preparation assistance
• Check out CFED’s Self Employment Tax Initiative (SETI), which works to implement tax code reforms that facilitate and support new entrepreneurs, such as improving the Schedule C interface and delivering tax preparation assistance in combination with additional business development resources
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Households need access to safe, affordable consumer financial products and services. Individuals and families need to have information in order to effectively compare the costs and benefits of different financial products and make the best choices for themselves. CFED supports efforts by the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to be a cop on the financial beat, and the first federal regulator focused on consumers’ wellbeing. CFED is engaging the Bureau on mortgage protections for owners of manufactured homes, small business loan data disclosure, and alternative data credit reporting.
Action Opportunities:
• Ask your senators to support a strong, independent CFPB
• Learn more about how CFPB can expand mortgage protections for owners of manufactured homes
• Learn more about how alternative data credit reporting can expand access to credit to as many as 70 million Americans
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