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Springboard To Opportunities’ statement on The US House of Representatives passing the Build Back Better Act

This morning the House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act, the biggest investment our federal government has made in families in decades. Along with historic investments in affordable housing, childcare, and education access, this bill also extends the expanded Child Tax Credit for another year while maintaining its full refundability.

Over the last 6 months, you have heard us talk repeatedly about the value of the Child Tax Credit and the importance of these monthly, unrestricted payments to families. Over these past months, we’ve talked to hundreds of families who have been using these payments for school supplies, diapers, uniforms and shoes, and even being able to start saving for their child’s future. These payments honor the hard work that goes into parenting and child care and give value to caregivers who have historically been ignored or overlooked in our economy.

But even beyond these tangible outcomes we’ve seen, the Child Tax Credit, along with other pieces of the Build Back Better Act, finally recognize the voices and stories of families that have so often been overlooked by policymakers and community leaders. Families have been saying for decades that the current social safety net system was not working, and they had brilliant ideas and insights into what could make it better. Unrestricted cash payments, as opposed to limited vouchers and funds tied to paternalistic requirements, is a first step toward honoring the voices of families and showing that we trust them to make the best decisions for their own family.

While we recognize that there is still much work to be done both to bring the Build Back Together Act to signed legislation and in creating a truly inclusive economy that allows all families to thrive, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate and applaud the members of the House of Representatives who took this important first step in that direction.

We encourage you to take some time this weekend to celebrate along with us by reading and sharing some of the newest Front & Center columns and continuing to uplift the stories of women and families who will be benefiting most from this legislation.

2022 has been off to a difficult start. In many ways, it feels like a repeat of years past, rather than the fresh start many of us look for in a new year. But despite the setbacks and challenges, we remain committed as an organization to continue to center family voice and implement new and exciting opportunities in alignment with that. There has been so much as an organization that we have been working on over the past year, and we are finally ready to launch! So despite the difficult start, I cannot help but be thrilled for all that is in store in this upcoming year.

Part of our commitment as a radically, resident-driven organization is to make sure that our programs are never static, but rather continue to grow and evolve as resident needs grow and evolve. Resident voice is the most important evaluative measure in all of our programs, so we are constantly listening to the stories and feedback of residents to understand how we can make programs stronger and more aligned to their needs. This was how The Magnolia Mother’s Trust was developed and how we continue to refine it and make it better each year.

In 2021, we began to hear a consistent theme from our moms – they had big dreams for themselves and their families, but they were looking for some additional support in actualizing them. Some had amazing career goals that they were working toward, but just needed a little extra help in building out the necessary network and social capital to get there. Others had a vision for what a more equitable community might look like, but felt a bit lost by complicated systems and were unsure of where to start in making a plan to bring about change.

These conversations got me thinking about times in my own life when I’ve felt just on the cusp of something new or great but needed a little extra push or support to get there. I’ve had the incredible privilege of being a part of several fellowship programs that have often helped give me the tools, confidence, and community that I needed to push me to the edge and prepare to take the leap into something new. If these types of fellowships existed for me, why not offer this same type of experience for our moms?

In the next month, we are launching two fellowship opportunities for our residents. One will be our Policy and Systems Change Fellowship, which will be an opportunity for a group of fellows to meet over a nine-month period to hone their power and expertise, learn more about issues in their communities and how policy decisions impact their daily lives, build community amongst their peers and skills around advocacy, narrative change, and coalition-building, and connect with larger networks, community leaders, and policymakers. This group will work together to not only learn more about advocacy and policy but will also help us as an organization develop our policy priorities. Additionally, the fellows will identify a community issue they are passionate about and will put their new skills into action by developing and executing a responsive action plan.

The second fellowship will be the Workforce Development Fellowship focused on helping residents actualize their career goals. Many of our mothers who have been through some of our career development and goal setting programs are ready to take the next steps to actualize the larger goals they have for themselves but need some support in identifying resources and networks to get there. Through this six-month program, fellows will have the opportunity to create comprehensive action plans for their goals, meet with community leaders and experts in their field of choice who can help connect them to careers and opportunities, and begin to take the necessary steps to actualize their dreams.

We know the incredible wisdom and skills that exist within all of our residents, and we think it is time for the rest of the world to get to see that, too. We are so excited to see what comes out of these fellowship programs and the fresh ideas and insights our Springboard fellows will bring into the world. We hope you’ll continue to follow along to hear more about our amazing fellows and what more is to come in 2022!

As you’ve picked up your mail over the past few weeks, I’m sure you’ve been reminded that tax season has arrived. W2s, 1099s, and all other sorts of statements are coming in, and we are all doing our best to make sure things are taken care of before April 15. For many of us, doing our taxes might seem like a hassle, an extra task, or maybe just something we ship off to our accountant. But for our Springboard families, tax season is often a lifeline.

Receiving a tax refund can be an important part of how low-income families plan and budget for what is coming up next or work to pay off debts they might owe. For many families just trying to get by, this extra bit of cash coming in the early spring is exactly what they need to make it a few more months. This year, with the expanded Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credits (CTC) that were a part of the American Rescue Plan, it is more important than ever that families are able to file their taxes and take advantage of the credits and opportunities made available.

Unfortunately, though, there is a whole industry dedicated to taking advantage of families who rely on this extra bit of income. We’ve probably all seen the pop-up shops that show up from December-April with flashy signs and advertisements, often in the middle of low-income communities promising specific amounts of money or an immediate cash payout instead of having to wait for one’s return to come in the mail or through direct deposit. Not only do these shops typically take a significant portion of a person’s refund as payment for their services, they rarely are staffed with certified accountants or people who know anything beyond the very basics of filing taxes. As such, they often fail to get families all the credits that they are due, like the EITC and CTC, and often exploit a family’s need for immediate resources, charging exorbitant preparer fees or offering illegal “loans” to get your refund faster. We’ve watched as these predatory institutions specifically target our families, putting out advertisements on cars and doors as early as December to try to lure families in.

While we’ve always partnered with the United Way and other entities to provide better information and free tax preparation, this year we’ve doubled down our efforts. In all our communities, we have been pushing out information about Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites where all our families qualify to have their taxes done for free by a certified professional trained to make sure they get all the tax credits they are due. Through our partners at Community Change, we were able to provide residents with direct access to an IRS Community Affairs staff member who could answer their tax questions and make sure they got accurate information about tax credits, VITA sites, and more.

But our hope is not only to educate families about what resources are available to them. We also want to ensure our families feel empowered and equipped with the knowledge they need to make the best decisions for themselves – not only this tax season, but in every tax season to come. So often low-income families are told they’re not smart enough or well-connected enough to know what they need, and predatory entities swoop in to fill the gap. But we know this story, like so many of the other myths that surround our families, is not true. As we talk about VITA tax sites and qualified preparers with residents, we also talk about what the EITC and CTC and other tax credits are, so they feel empowered to ask for what they deserve and not bogged down by jargon or complex policy that can leave all of us confused at tax time.

When we think about policy agendas or advocacy campaigns, tax season is not always the most glamorous or exciting topic rising to the top. But we know from talking with our families and being in communities that it is essential for them. And as an organization demonstrating the importance of cash-based benefits for families in our own work, we know we have to ensure that all these benefits, including tax refunds, are designed to support the most vulnerable families based on their voices and experiences.

Springboard has been supporting families in low-income housing communities since 2013. Over that time, we have been inspired by countless stories, built deep relationships, and watched residents recognize the power and strength they have to set and achieve their goals for themselves and their families. As our work continues to grow and expand, both we and our families are becoming more keenly aware about the ways systems, policies, and community structures and norms play an important role in their ability to reach their goals and create thriving communities where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.

That’s why we are excited to announce our new Springboard Fellowship programs that kicked off in March! So far, we have launched our Policy and Systems Change Fellowship and a Workforce Development Fellowship with plans to begin an Education Fellowship and a Youth Fellowship before the end of 2022. These fellowships are intended to support residents in having more comprehensive support in achieving and planning for larger goals and dreams, building connections with peers and broadening their own networks and social capital, and recognizing the larger systems and policies that affect their daily lives and ability to achieve their goals.

In the Policy and Systems Change Fellowship, fellows are building a community of support, learning to hone their own power and expertise, understanding the impacts of policy decisions, and starting to build advocacy tools and skills. Fellows will connect with local and national policymakers, organizers, and community leaders, helping them understand the ins and outs of policy making while recognizing their own expertise and knowledge — particularly regarding policies that affect low-income families. Throughout the fellowship, fellows will be working to identify, develop, and implement a self-designed community project around an issue area that is important to them.

The Workforce Development Fellowship is designed to support residents who have established career goals and are looking for the next steps in achieving them. Fellows are building connections with their peers and other local leaders who can support them and start building out their network as they look toward potential jobs and career changes. They will also be working with Springboard staff and coaches on goal setting, action planning, and ensuring that they have the resources and connections to take the next steps on their plans. Throughout all this, they will also be learning to recognize the systems that are often at play that prevent them from achieving their goals or taking the next steps in their careers and learning to advocate for their needs and more equitable workforce policies.

We are continuing to develop and design our Education Systems Fellowship and Youth Fellowship alongside our residents to ensure they align to their needs and interests and look forward to sharing more about those soon. But for now, we hope you’ll join us in recognizing and celebrating these incredible women who are learning to own their power, know their expertise, and lead the change toward a new and better world for all of us!

The last month in Jackson has been challenging to say the least. While the 7-week all-city boil water notice was lifted, the reality is that the water crisis in Jackson is much bigger than a few disastrous weeks. As Yamiracle, a Springboard mom said earlier this month in an interview, “They lifted the advisory this week to boil all our water, but I just can’t believe it’s safe. This has been going on for years. It’s basically been going on my whole life. So I think most of us who live here are just asking, ‘If all it took was two weeks to fix this, why haven’t you guys already done it?’ It just doesn’t make sense.”

The Department of Justice is prepared to file an action against the city under the Safe Drinking Water Act after close to 300 boil water notices in the last two years alone, and already, parts of the city find themselves under a boil water notice again. We are hopeful that the attention brought to the system and involvement from multiple levels of government will finally bring about a long-term solution. However, we also know that this is a problem that will take much longer than a couple weeks to fix.

And more importantly, we know that the needs of each family right now is different. While there is the obvious expense of having to buy bottled water, there are plenty of other repercussions from the crisis families are dealing with. Some families are trying to make up for the extra food costs that they had to spend when schools were out and they were unable to get meals. Others need to make up for lost wages when restaurants or other businesses were closed or could offer less service. Still others are trying to make sure that they have Internet ready or funds saved for childcare if their child’s school switches to virtual again with very little notice.

At Springboard, we are dedicated to our radically resident-driven model and honoring our belief that our families know better than anyone else what it is that they need to best care for themselves and their families. With that in mind, Springboard To Opportunities will be providing $150 per month for a minimum of 6 months to each family residing in one of Springboard’s multifamily Jackson communities. This means approximately 700 families residing in low-income housing in Jackson will have additional cash resources to sustain their families through this crisis.

To put this in context, up until last spring, Mississippi’s monthly TANF payment was only $170 for a family of 3 (it has now been raised to $260 – still the 4th lowest amount in the country). At the end of 2021, only about 1,600 families were actually receiving TANF – less than 1% of the total number of families living in poverty in Mississippi. In a state that has historically accepted less than 2% of TANF applications while fraudulently reallocating funds to friends and pet projects, we are rewriting the script on what is possible when you center trust and the voices of families in times of crisis.

Since the launch of The Magnolia Mother’s Trust in 2018, Springboard has been helping to drive forward the conversation on cash and modeling what it looks like to believe that families know better than anyone else what they need. This time is no different. As we continue to learn alongside our families in these next few months, we look forward to getting show on a larger scale than ever before that when families are offered trust and have agency over their own lives and resources, they are able to thrive.