FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Mya Hutchinson, City of Milwaukee, 414-286-8783
Milwaukee Launches Financial Empowerment Center,
Offering Financial Counseling as a Free Public Service
Milwaukee announces the opening of a local Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) to support residents with free, one-on-one financial counseling to local residents
March 21, 2024 – Milwaukee, in partnership with the national Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) announced today the grand opening of Milwaukee’s Financial Empowerment Center (FEC), offering professional, one-on-one financial counseling and coaching as a free public service to local residents. At the Milwaukee FEC, professionally trained FEC counselors help individuals and families with low and moderate incomes manage their finances, pay down debt, increase savings, establish and build credit, and access safe and affordable mainstream banking products. At the core of the FEC model is the integration of counseling into other social services, such as housing and foreclosure prevention, workforce development, prisoner reentry, benefits access, domestic violence services,
and more.
The Milwaukee Financial Empowerment Center operates in collaboration with the Riverworks Development Corporation and is backed by the Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE) Fund to execute their FEC model. The center is located at Riverworks, 518 E. Concordia Avenue in Milwaukee.
"Good financial information has lifelong benefits, so I recommend everyone in Milwaukee rely on sources such as the Milwaukee Financial Empowerment Center to gain knowledge and assistance in navigating money matters," said Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson.
“Local leaders know first-hand the connection between family financial stability and community financial stability – and this connection is especially important during the current crisis,” said Jonathan Mintz, President and CEO of the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund. “The Mayor and the City of Milwaukee is part of a growing national movement to bring free, high-quality financial counseling as a public service to their residents; we are proud to partner with the Mayor to help residents navigate the financial impact of COVID-19 and work towards a stronger financial future.”
First piloted in New York City under Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in 2008, FECs across the country have worked with almost 150,000 clients, helping them reduce individual debt by over $225 million, and increasing their families’ savings by close to $45 million. In addition, a CFE Fund evaluation showed that this program works even for residents with very low incomes and other complex financial challenges. Milwaukee is one of several dozen local governments working to launch or have already launched a local FEC initiative. The Milwaukee FEC is supported by the CFE Fund and the City of Milwaukee.
Residents can get started and schedule an appointment online or call (414) 882-7430. Services are free and available to all residents regardless of income.
About the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund)
The CFE Fund supports municipal efforts to improve the financial stability of households by leveraging opportunities unique to local government. By translating cutting edge experience with large scale programs, research, and policy in cities of all sizes, the CFE Fund assists mayors and other local leaders in over 100 cities to identify, develop, fund, implement, and research pilots and programs that help families build assets and make the most of their financial resources. For more information, please visit www.cfefund.org or follow us on Twitter at @CFEFund.