The Vermont IDA Program marked its 10-year anniversary on Friday, January 14th with a breakfast at the State House. The event celebrated the extraordinary efforts of IDA participants and their families, with the five regional Community Action Agencies, volunteers, community activists, and partner agencies. An Individual Development Account is a matched savings account designed to promote savings and asset development in eligible low-income households. The family's ongoing savings efforts are matched through state and Federal funds; support and financial education is provided.

People use savings to buy their first home, attend post-secondary education, or start a business. In the decade since the Vermont program began, over 1,100 people have enrolled, investing in assets worth more than $2,000,000! Says Community Action's Mary Niebling, "IDAs are not a handout, they're a hand up. The program allows us to support people as they develop new practices and save for their future. Vermonters are asset-poor - if we can help change that pattern, we will have fewer people in poverty."

Read the Governor's Proclamation. Learn about IDAs.