Mas a Ti launch gives communities hope and opportunity in the middle of U.S. financial crisis

Denver—In the midst of the nation’s dismal financial crisis, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR)—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S.— and one of its Affiliates—Del Norte Neighborhood Development Corporation—today launched Mas a Ti, an Economic Mobility Center designed to create a path to wealth-building for Denver’s most vulnerable communities. The Mas a Ti (more for you) storefront will provide low- and moderate-income families with much-needed access to check cashing, money transfers, money orders, bill payment, and case management services for homeownership, Individual Development Accounts, and housing counseling.

The program, financially supported by NCLR, JPMorgan Chase, and the City of Denver’s Office of Development is especially important for Latino families, who make up a large percentage of the unbanked. “More than 30% of Latinos do not have bank accounts, leaving them vulnerable to predatory check cashers and lenders,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. “Mas a Ti will bridge Latino families into the financial mainstream through credit-building tools and financial education.”

The Denver storefront will serve as a pilot program for future Economic Mobility Centers in the more than 50 nonprofit housing counseling agencies in the NCLR Homeownership Network. Homeownership is the greatest wealth-building vehicle for low-income families, but predatory financial practices and a lack of quality homeownership programs prevent many of these families from achieving this stake in the American dream. Mas a Ti will help families overcome the barriers to homeownership, creating financial stability and providing a path to wealth-building. Mas a Ti will also provide foreclosure prevention programs that are particularly vital for the Denver community in light of the nation’s foreclosure crisis.

###