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As the country remains in tough economic times it is clear that our state’s working families finding themselves in increasingly financially insecure times. We continue to see the numbers of vulnerable citizens accessing public services swell like few times in our collective history. The foundations of opportunity -- living wages, job stability
and upward mobility -- have been strained, endangering the future of thousands of Hoosiers.
An economy that is struggling on many fronts requires both immediate and long-term solutions to help working families. Indiana must lay the groundwork for rebuilding and strengthening a good jobs economy: If Indiana’s workers succeed, Indiana’s economy will as well.
The Indiana Coalition for Human Services supports the following for the State of Indiana:
Increase availability of Individual Development Accounts (IDAs).
IDAs provide working families matched savings for education, home purchase, home repair and business startup. The State estimates that only 10% of all eligible families participate in the current IDA program. An increase in the availability of IDAs will help more low-wage families attain economic self-sufficiency.
Establish a State Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.
A state child and dependent care tax credit that is a percentage of the federal credit would help families enter and remain in Indiana’s work force.
Provide adequate funding and income thresholds for Child Care Development Funds (CCDF).
Child Care Development Fund vouchers are an economic development tool that ensure parents can remain employed and provide for their families. Investing in child care will assist Indiana in expanding economic and workforce development initiatives for low income workers.
Enact mortgage foreclosure relief for Hoosier homeowners.
Even homeowners with good credit are falling behind on their payments in growing numbers. The State of Indiana must continue to help borrowers gain access to counseling and short-term financial resources so as to ensure a fair foreclosure process, encouraging creditors to pursue foreclosure alternatives, protect against
predatory and fraudulent foreclosure “rescue” practices and ensure creditor maintenance of vacant properties.
Reform township poor relief by moving both funding and administration to the county level.
While it is a major component of the safety net for low-income and vulnerable individuals and families, the township-administered poor relief system has high administrative costs and subjective eligibility criteria. This essential service must be reformed through county-wide administration, a standard eligibility determination
framework, the ability of local units to contract with non-profit organizations to administer services, and assurances that services can be readily accessed in communities throughout each of Indiana’s 92 counties.
Work with social service providers and advocates to create and implement a public benefits eligibility determination process that works for Indiana’s citizens.
As policy makers consider ways to improve Indiana’s eligibility system there must be one singular desired outcome: a system that allows all individuals to apply for, maintain and sustain benefits for which they are eligible in a fair, fully accessible and efficient fashion.
Ensure access to emergency food assistance for Hoosiers in need.
As poverty rates increase, hunger and food scarcity become problematic for many Hoosiers. Ensuring the efficient application and administration processes of the federal SNAP (food stamp) program and encouraging public and private resources to invest in emergency food purchases and distribution are vital to ensure that
Hoosiers have access to nutritional food that will help them achieve success in school, at work, and in life.
Ensure low-income and fixed-income customers have access to adequate and affordable home energy, and reinstitute the sales tax exemption on the Low Income Heating Assistance Program funds.
Low and fixed-income households are struggling with the increased burden of home energy bills. Access to adequate and affordable utility service is necessary for the health and safety of all Hoosiers, critical to families being able to stay in their homes, and vital for the welfare of children, persons with disabilities, and senior citizens.
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