New Life Corporation - CT - New Haven

Earned Income/Child Care Tax Credit (EITC) Project:
This component is an extension of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program that has been successfully implemented in a number of communities across the United States.

Description:
Earned Income/Child Care Tax Credit (EITC) Project:
While there have been VITA sites in New Haven during recent tax seasons, a key difference in our approach is that it will seek to mobilize the EZ community to use a number of VITA sites in key locations, not just establish a single site. Our goal is to take this effort to scale at a level that will have significant impact for working families and their neighborhoods, and use the EITC campaign to engage residents with complementary asset-building services.

NLC will partner with the IRS and others to offer workshops on EITC, provide “hands-on” tax assistance, electronic tax filing, and connection to asset-building services.

History:
In the years just prior to and following welfare reform in 1996, unprecedented numbers of low-income parents – including welfare recipients – moved into the workforce, though the majority secured employment in low-wage jobs that often do not pay enough to lift families out of poverty. Federal and state governments, public agencies, and private organizations responded to the need for programs that support low-income working families by developing services that promote job retention and advancement, and by expanding “work support” programs such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, food stamps, and subsidized healthcare. Both approaches show promise for raising family income and improving family well-being. Indeed, recently published, compelling research shows that earnings supplements can reduce poverty and have a range of other positive impacts on families and children. However, other studies have shown that take-up rates for both job retention and advancement programs, and work supports are low, and that even fewer families who are eligible for multiple programs receive the “full package” of employment services and work supports that are available to them.

Contact people:

Angela Vega, Program Coordinator, (phone), (email) Ariel Martinez, Executive Director, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (203) 907-0408

Address:

540 ELLA T. GRASSO BLVD NEW HAVEN, CT 06519 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.newlifecorp.org

Last updated on September 22, 2009