Step-Up Silicon Valley
Campaign to Cut Poverty

Almaz Negash (408) 325-5128
anegash@stepupsv.com

Download the Step Up Silicon Valley 2011 Annual Report to learn more about our team and initiatives

Step Up Silicon Valley coordinates public policy and community organizing strategies to reduce poverty. Through collaboration with local government officials, the California State Legislature, the United States Congress, and the White House Administration, we can influence and encourage policy makers to pass specific legislation and regulations that will directly cut poverty in our community.  By advocating for policy change, we ensure that the decisions that affect the lives of poor families in Santa Clara County receive closer attention. We recognize that no single issue is the cause of poverty and no single strategy is the solution. Therefore, every policy is analyzed based on whether or not it helps to reduce poverty.

Advocacy Focus Areas:

• Anti-Payday Lending
• Elder Economic Security Index
• Snap/CalFresh (Food Stamps)
• National Opportunity for Community Renewal Act  (NOCRA)
• Affordable Housing Developments
• Transportation
• Jobs
• Child Savings Accounts
• Candidate Pledges

In 2011, Step Up achieved progress on its advocacy goals through work on the following initiatives:

Elder Economic Self-Sufficiency Index, AB 138 –In partnership with the Insight Center for Economic Development, this pilot project will take a detailed look at the minimum income necessary to cover older adult’s basic living expenses in Santa Clara County. This was passed by the California State Legislature in September, 2011 and is pending final approval by Governor Brown.

Anti-Payday Lending– Step Up supports the ongoing efforts by the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley on the impact of payday lending. This effort includes sharing educational materials on the proliferation of payday lenders and check cashiers in our community.  In 2011, an industry bill was defeated in the State Legislature. However, the City of San Jose has approved a prioritizing study on payday lending and many Bay Area politicians are looking to re-introduce this bill in 2012.

Food, AB 6 & AB 69 – Step Up has supported advocacy efforts to reduce bureaucratic barriers to accessing food stamps through CalFresh (a part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP). In October 2011, AB 6and AB 69 were passed. AB 69 establishes a pilot program that will enroll eligible seniors on Social Security in CalFresh. AB 6 eliminates fingerprinting and quarterly reporting requirements for CalFresh.

National Opportunity and Community Reinvestment Act (NOCRA),  S. 3845/H.R. 6222 – This legislation is being re-introduced to the Senate as a result of the work by Catholic Charities USA to identify innovative strategies existing in communities throughout the country that will revamp the national approach to poverty prevention and alleviation.Pilot projects will move forward in 3-4 cities, including San Jose.