Resolution 060653

..Title Authorizing the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development to hold hearings related to economic self-sufficiency. ..Body WHEREAS, The Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Project, an innovative effort initiated in 1996, links national organizations to provide resources and technical assistance to community-based advocates and states on human resource investment policies; and WHEREAS, The project connects with state and local partners to build and strengthen the capacity of coalitions in the states to gain support for proven strategies that can improve the chances for self-sufficiency for low-income families; and WHEREAS, The strategies include: • adopting a Self-Sufficiency Standard to measure how much income is needed to make ends meet and to assess the success of employment and training programs; • targeting higher-wage employment in the development and design of education, employment and training programs and in the provision of career counseling; • using the functional context education model to integrate literacy and basic skills with occupational skills and family support programs to improve the efficiency and success of adult education; • improving the access of low-income women to nontraditional training and employment; • training and support for microenterprise development; • supporting the development of individual development accounts, allowing low-income families to develop assets; and WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Family Economic Self-Sufficiency project, led by PathWaysPA, has used the Self-Sufficiency Standard for Pennsylvania as a counseling tool to demonstrate the real costs of becoming economically independent; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development is hereby authorized to hold hearings related to economic self-sufficiency. ..End