Financial Empowerment Center (FEC)

The FEC model is part of a national movement of local governments investing in financial counseling as a public service. Developed and replicated with guidance from the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, the FEC model is a model of integrating counseling into core social services like workforce development programs, housing programs, and emergency assistance.

Adding financial counseling as a component of other social service programs creates a super vitamin effect by supporting the efficacy of the host program, boosting programmatic outcomes, and creating broader and more meaningful impacts for participants.

In 2021, Louisville joined a national network of cities that believe that trusted, free, financial counseling services should be an essential city service. Just like waste management services, libraries, and public parks, financial counseling should be available to all residents regardless of their socio-economic status or current asset and wealth portfolio. That’s why we brought the Louisville Financial Empowerment Center to all residents in 2022.

The Louisville FEC is a partnership between Louisville Metro Government’s Office of Resilience & Community Services and the Louisville Urban League. The Louisville FEC counselors are located within the Louisville Urban League’s Center for Housing & Financial Empowerment and the Louisville FEC is a city-branded, led, and supported effort.

For more information about the FEC model nationally, visit fecpublic.org.