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Assets for Independence (AFI) is a federal program that distributes discretionary grants to help the impoverished achieve one of three goals: (1)homeownership; (2)business ownership; and (3) post-secondary education. AFI was created by the Assets for Independence Act. In order to strengthen communities and individuals, AFI uses several tools including financial education and grants supporting Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), also known as matched savings accounts. == Purpose and History == First introduced in 1991, the Assets for Independence Act (AFIA) worked its way through several sessions of Congress, finally passing in 1998. The 105th Congress appropriated $105 million to fund IDAs over the course of 5 years. AFI is the “largest federal funder of IDA programs” awarding grants to more than 400 non-profits and government programs. More than 84,000 families received some sort of assistance from AFI through the IDA and financial education programs. Over 40% of these families have been able to “join the economic mainstream” through the purchase of assets.〔Administration for Children and Families. 2014. "About Assets for Independence." Office of Community Services. Accessed November 4, 2014.〕 The AFI’s ultimate goal is to help people get themselves out of poverty by creating a habit of saving their income and use those savings to purchase an asset.〔Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. 2014. "Assets for Independence Demonstration Program." Catalog of Federal Assistance. Accessed Nov 4, 2014.〕 With this money, organizations fund individual development accounts (IDAs) that may help eligible participants obtain the desired assets in the future. Money from these savings accounts can only be used for the three specific assets mentioned earlier, i.e. homeownership, business ownership, and post-secondary education. Besides awarding grants for IDAs, the program also manages a national resource center with the intent of helping AFI grantees better understand IDAs and other asset-building strategies.〔Administration for Children and Families. 2014. "About Assets for Independence." Office of Community Services. Accessed November 4, 2014.〕 AFI is currently administered through the Office of Community Services (OCS) and part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS). As stated in its mission, AFI works to help low-income families transition into economic self-sufficiency. In a special partnership between OCS and the Administration for Native Americans (ANA), AFI helps support the building of assets in native communities through the Native Asset Building Initiative (NABI). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Assets for Independence」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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