Financial Wellness Partnership Update
January 2021
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United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona is moving forward with a monthly newsletter focused on financial wellness topics. We hope these updates can help you share data, learn new information, and build stronger systems to support individuals and families across Southern Arizona.
In this month's newsletter, read about efforts to reduce evictions in Pima County, expand the accessibility of tax assistance, measure financial resilience, and more.
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Pima County Eviction Recommendations
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Building a better future is impossible without the foundation of safe and stable housing. Unfortunately, affordable housing is becoming more and more difficult for low-to-moderate income (LMI) families to find and keep. According to data from the Pima County Consolidated Justice Court in an Innovation for Justice 2020 eviction report, our county saw approximately 13,000 eviction filings each year even before the pandemic. COVID-19 has worsened this already difficult situation. Many LMI family members work in service and hospitality and found their hours reduced or eliminated when the pandemic hit. Of those who continued to work, their positions were often essential and hourly, increasing their exposure to the virus but limiting their ability to use sick time or employer insurance benefits.
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Government, nonprofits, business, and philanthropy have been working to quell the impact of evictions over the past few months. As of December 2020, Pima County and the City of Tucson had distributed more than $12 million in rent and utility assistance to local residents. United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona has provided more than $250,000 in housing assistance to supplement that support, helping 1,034 people pay their rent or mortgage as they wait for benefits to process or first paycheck from a new job. In October, Pima County also commissioned an Eviction and Homelessness Prevention Task Force. Watch for future updates about how these recommendations will be implemented, and read the full report here - Eviction and Homelessness Prevention Task Force Memo.
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A few recommendations of note:
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Increase available rental assistance - there was agreement across the Task Force that adequate rental assistance is the first and most critical strategy to address eviction prevention, reducing stress and financial burden for tenants and property managers.
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Limit the legal and financial penalties to tenants/renters, such as suspending reporting late payments to credit agencies. Providing direct rental assistance could also be a more direct way to reduce these penalties.
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Explore the creation of an Eviction Specialty Court, drawing upon the experience of model programs in other states that include mediation, education, and wraparound services.
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Increase access to courts by reducing the technology barriers for both tenants/renters and property owners/landlords in an eviction process.
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Tax Assistance During COVID-19
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United Way of Tucson’s VITA program has partnered with GetYourRefund.org to offer its tax support from IRS-certified volunteers entirely online. This online system will help the VITA program reach more taxpayers, process returns more efficiently, and ensure the health and safety of volunteers and community members. VITA services include tax filing and assistance accessing Economic Impact Payments (stimulus checks).
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Free tax help is available for anyone earning up to $66,000 annually. Visit the United Way VITA site for more information.
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VITA will also be offered at tax return preparation sites across Southern Arizona operated by Pio Decimo Center. These sites will use a variety of social distancing methods and safety measures, such as curbside assistance and drive-up appointments. A DIY Self-Prep Software is also available for those who feel confident filing on their own.
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Additional VITA Resources
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Find Tax Assistance: Check here the latest information about where to find VITA support, including Pio Decimo in-person locations and schedules
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Measuring Financial Wellness
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Last year, the Asset Funders Network released a brief full of promising community-based strategies to improve financial resilience among families. Now the group has followed up with a companion piece focused on evaluating community financial programs. The new brief, A Framework for Measuring Financial Resilience Outcomes, offers concrete data collection strategies for savings, borrowing, benefits, and insurance initiatives.
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Recommendations include short-term measures such as shortfalls avoided (ex. “How difficult is it for you to cover expenses and pay all your bills?”) and avoided hardships (ex. “In the past 12 months, was there a time when you needed health care but went without because you couldn’t afford it?”), as well as long-term measures related to asset building and financial empowerment. If you are interested in learning about financial wellness-specific strategies for measurement, the report is worth a look.
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Meet a Financial Wellness Partner
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Goodwill of Southern Arizona
Michael Sicurello, Employee Assistance and Career Development Specialist
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Goodwill Industries of Southern Arizona is dedicated to the idea of strengthening families and our community through the power of work. The organization's mission is to provide jobs and training to gain skills and independence in order to provide all people the opportunity to reach their potential and contribute to our community.
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How did you end up working with your current program at Goodwill?
In my role as Goodwill’s Employee Assistance and Career Development Specialist, I began developing career and financial education workshop elements for Goodwill employees in 2014. It was clear early on that both topics (careers and money) resonate with people at all socio-economic levels. The (financial) interactive workshop elements that have been developed and refined over a 5 year period can now be presented in 15 minute, hour long or day long format. The current focus is translating the live workshop elements into a blended learning environment that combines one-to-one coaching with Google Classroom assignments that can be completed independently by the learner.
What are your responsibilities with your program?
I am currently the Employee Development Program Manager for Goodwill of Southern Arizona. With direction from our CEO Liz Gulick, I am responsible for continuous improvement of a program that engages our employees from the start. Employee Assistance is provided through direct services and referrals for crisis support, food security, housing, rent and utility assistance, health care and more. Career Development services are personalized to fit each employee’s pathway and are supported by one-to-one coaching, group interactive learning and on-line learning opportunities. The program is organized around these learning and development topics: Digital Skills, Financial Skills, Soft Skills and Career Advancement Skills.
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Support from Goodwill staff includes financial skills coaching, using budget worksheets and expense tracking seen in the example above.
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What has been the most inspiring thing you have seen or learned in your work?
The nature of the program’s interaction with our clients translates to this: Every day presents the opportunity to assist someone through a challenge or to guide someone towards becoming the best possible version of themselves! Regarding financial education in particular, one of the most inspiring things is the impact that a simple budget coaching session can have on a person. For many it is a first time experience to complete a budget using a simple spreadsheet that includes a pie-chart visualization of their spending categories. When clients can “see their money”, the priorities and realities of good financial habits often become intuitively and starkly real to them in a way that is empowering.
What is your favorite thing about living in Southern Arizona?
My favorite things about living in Southern Arizona include: the cultural diversity, the food, the natural environment and really honestly the number of people and organizations that care about and contribute to the well-being of our community.
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Affordable Housing Summit Tucson - Four open sessions (1/25-1/28). The fifth session (2/5) has been geared to collectively develop an Affordable Housing Plan for Older Adults.
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Additional Information
AZ Eviction Help - Information about eviction processes, tenant rights, and resources for rental assistance, utility assistance, legal assistance compiled by the Arizona Bar Association
Tucson COVID-19 Testing Overview - Comprehensive list of COVID testing sites around Tucson. The information includes sites from all around town, protocol for kids, and schedules.
2-1-1 – Hotline for information about COVID resources or COVID questions for Arizona residents
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The Financial Wellness Partnership seeks to improve the financial wellness of individuals and families by increasing accessibility to effective services, resources, and opportunities, and by influencing policy to
develop equitable, people-centered systems that support financial wellness.
If you have questions or suggestions for future newsletters, please contact Lisa Floran, Senior Director of Financial Wellness Initiatives at United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona: lfloran@unitedwaytucson.org
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