Mayor Malik D. Evans recently marked the fifth anniversary of the Rochester Financial Empowerment Center (FEC), highlighting the program’s impact on local families. The FEC, operated in collaboration with The Housing Council at PathStone, offers free and private financial guidance to residents of Rochester.
“This is more than a milestone—it’s a movement,” Mayor Evans emphasized. “Financial empowerment is about creating a city where people are not just surviving but thriving. Thanks to the Rochester FEC, families are finding peace of mind, reaching long-term goals, and building generational wealth. This program proves that when we invest in people, we all win.”
The FEC, since its inception in 2019, has offered one-to-one counseling to over 3,000 individuals. It has facilitated the reduction of $5 million in debt, helped increase savings by $2 million collectively, and aided 600 people in boosting their credit scores by 35 percent. Counselors at the FEC provide services in budgeting, credit enhancement, debt reduction, banking, and savings strategies.
The FEC is integrated into various city initiatives such as the First-Time Homebuyers program, Buy the Block, and the Guaranteed Basic Income pilot.
More details about the Rochester FEC can be found at www.CityofRochester.Gov/FEC.
