HISTORY

After working in social services for more than 20 years, Maurice Lim Miller was challenged by then-Mayor of Oakland Jerry Brown to create something new: something that instead of assuring jobs and stability to social workers and government bureaucrats would assure jobs and security for the low-income families these professionals seek to help.

After reflecting on his own family's story of climbing out of poverty he researched the histories of immigrant, migrant, and indigenous communities in the United States who managed to move from intense poverty to a more stable middle-class standing. The common thread was that people turned to family and friends, pooled resources, and followed the example of those they knew who began to succeed. The Family Independence Initiative (FII) is based on this premise: mutuality and self-determination are key in achieving self-sufficiency.

Background & Approach

After a lecture explaining The Family Independence Initiative at a UC Berkeley class, the professor summarized FII as an alternative to addressing poverty that just hadn't been considered yet. He explained, "The conservatives believe money and help will ‘trickle down' and the liberals believe in creating programs, but maybe there is a third alternative." That third alternative is to shift the responsibility for solutions back to low-income communities while creating an environment that provides resources and opportunity to those who take initiative. FII strongly believes that this country can reduce poverty by doing just that. FII's Demonstration projects in Hawaii, Oakland, and San Francisco convincingly show the power of self-determination and mutuality.