Wheels to Wealth A journey toward selfreliance

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Wheels to WealthA journey toward self-reliance
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Car ownership a transformative asset

• A valuable tool for low-income workers
• Facilitates employment and higher wages.
• Increases the flexibility to allocate time
  between work, training and family.
• Increases housing options.
• Facilitates access to mainstream financial
  services-Step toward asset-building.

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A boon to the employer

• Improves work culture
• Facilitates recruiting and retaining work force.
• Decreases absenteeism.
• Workers willing to take responsibility.
• Workers consider their job as career.

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Car ownership for low-income workers is different
from other social service programs

• Incorporates business practices.
• Necessitates industry-related knowledge.
• Requires collaboration with financial institutes,
  insurance companies and car-dealers.
• Offers a long-term solution for workers.
• Self-sustaining programs.

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Car Ownership Program Basics

• Target Population TANF
• Low-Income
• Client processing Minorities
• Functions Vehicle processing
• Self-sustaining programs

selling used and new cars in the existing
private-sector auto. mkt.
Investing the profits back in the program.
Banks/Insurance interest in extending service
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Host organizations running car ownership programs

• Host organizations 1. Service
  provider orgs.
• 2. Faith-based orgs.
• 3. Employment agencies
• 4. Universities/Training
• agencies
• 5. Auto-repair garages/
• car dealers
• 6. Government agencies

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Car ownerships contribution to increasing the
efficiency of existing regional transportation
systems

• Individuals and households living far away from
  transit routes can reach bus stops if there is
  free parking arrangement. Park Ride Centers are
  available in Wilsonville.
• Low-performing routes that are expensive to
  maintain can be suspended without causing
  inconvenience to low-income riders.
• Car-ownership has a regional component and is not
  Portland centric.

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Need for car ownership program in Wilsonville

• SMART (South Metro Area Rapid Transit)
• Offers services Monday through Friday, 530 a.m.
  to 830 p.m
• Only two routes operate on Saturday
• Buses do not run on Sunday
• Does not provide service on holidays like New
  Year's Day and Memorial Day

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Initiatives to be taken

• Investigating the transportation needs of the
  workers
• Involving car dealers and insurance companies
• Involving banks Washington Mutual, Bank of
  America, US Bank
• Partnering with SMART

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Wheels to Wealths collaboration with Ways to Work

• Informational Outreach Campaign launched this
  year jointly with Metropolitan Family Service
  Ways to Work program which administers an auto
  loan program for low income working parents
• Educating employers/employees, non-profits and
  policy makers
• Regional Transportation Plan is being updated in
  coming four months the campaign will emphasize
  regional problems. It will also address the
  equity and mobility issues.

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• For more information contact
• Sreya Sarkar
• Wheels to Wealth Policy Center
• Cascade Policy Institute
• 4850 SW Scholls Ferry Road
• Suite 103
• Portland, OR 97225
• t. 503.242.0900
• f. 503.242.3822
• sreya_at_cascadepolicy.org
• www.cascadepolicy.org