Rochester to include financial stability resources into local emergency response plan
Mayor Malik D. Evans announced today that Rochester has been selected by the national nonprofit Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) as an inaugural city in its new Emergency Financial Empowerment (EFE) initiative. The EFE program will assist municipalities in building and expanding their emergency preparedness and response infrastructure by incorporating financial stability support.
“Financial empowerment is key to resiliency,” said Mayor Malik. D. Evans. “I’m excited to have our Office of Emergency Management and the Mayor’s Office of Financial Empowerment work together to develop a thoughtful emergency preparedness and response plan that includes financial support resources to prepare city families for the potentially lasting impacts of an unexpected disaster or local emergency. I want to thank the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund for choosing Rochester as one of five municipalities nationwide to participate in the inaugural EFE cohort.”
“Financial stability is foundational to preparing for and recovering from an emergency, and the CFE Fund is thrilled to work together with Mayor Malik D. Evans’ administration to ensure the City of Rochester and other local governments can incorporate the array of public and community financial empowerment resources to support individual and family finances for emergencies,” said Jonathan Mintz, President and CEO of the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund. “Thanks to generous support from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, this new Emergency Financial Empowerment initiative will help Rochester residents better prepare for and recover from unexpected disasters.”
The strain of natural disasters, public health crises, and other localized emergencies often significantly impact the financial stability of residents with unforeseen expenses, loss of income, and other stresses that can lead to long-term financial consequences. The EFE initiative is designed to ensure that Rochester residents can receive assistance to navigate the available financial resources, as well as their eligibility and the process for accessing those resources. Additionally, a household's financial stability before a disaster can have a major impact on its ability to access relief programs when emergencies happen. For example, 90% of Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loan denials since 2001 have been for “unsatisfactory credit history,” “lack of repayment ability,” or both.
“When communities experience natural disasters, their residents' financial, housing, and job stability are all simultaneously tested. This burden has a greater effect on the most vulnerable families,” said Garnesha Ezediaro, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative. “That’s why local strategies to combat disaster-induced financial inequities are so critical. Through this partnership, the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund will create opportunities to significantly strengthen local emergency responses and prepare our communities in a way that centers on underserved residents.”
Rochester joins four other cities Dallas, Texas; Gainesville, Fla.; St. Louis, Mo.; and St. Paul, Minn. who were competitively chosen for CFE Fund’s inaugural EFE cohort due to their demonstrated interest in identifying the role of local emergency management in household financial resilience.
The CFE Fund engagement will be supported by a $150,000 grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies as part of their Greenwood Initiative, a philanthropic effort that aims to accelerate the pace of wealth accumulation for Black individuals and families and address systemic underinvestment in Black communities.