IDA and Asset Building Policy in the States: Infrastructure, Network, Research and Capacity Building

About this grant

The Center for Social Development at Washington University has played an important role in the evolution of the Individual Development Account (IDA) policies over the past decade. Multiyear funding will enable the center to create more effective asset-based policies through IDAs and through linkages between IDAs and other state and federal asset-building programs. Activities will include continuing to analyze data collected during the American Dream Demonstration; providing technical assistance to policymakers seeking to establish IDA initiatives; and evaluating federal and state asset-building policies to expand the scope and scale of existing policies and promote better integration between policies at the two levels.Past efforts included helping to create a platform for the discussion and exploration of asset-building policies at the federal and state levels; helping states create and implement strategies for IDA policymaking and funding; and providing research to create a solid knowledge base of asset-building strategies to inform federal and state policymakers.