WCVB 5 CityLine: Watching Your Wallet
Midas’ Executive Director, Rose Francois, recently shared her insights on the affordability crisis in Massachusetts on Cityline, WCVB’s urban news magazine. In the segment, Rose discussed how people across our Commonwealth are struggling to make ends meet and how systemic inequality affects economic opportunity. To help people navigate economic challenges, we highlight these valuable resources:
Enrich (Massachusetts Office of Economic Empowerment) — A free financial education platform that offers personalized tools including financial wellness check-ups, budgeting and savings guidance, and planning resources to support long-term financial health.
American Consumer Credit Counseling — A nonprofit credit counseling service offering free and low-cost help with debt management, budgeting, and financial planning for individuals and families
As Rose shared on CityLine, “Think about the conversations folks are having at the kitchen table, it’s about how [they] save money, how [they] keep [their] money.”
She pointed to housing costs as a major pressure point, noting that as one of the most expensive states in the country, “people are spending so much just to find housing and keep that housing, and it’s really eating away at their income.”
CityLine host Jennifer Peñate asked who is being hit hardest right now, particularly when saving can feel impossible for those living paycheck to paycheck. Rose explained, “Unfortunately, it’s low-income residents, especially Black and Hispanic communities, who are feeling this the most. Rising costs are eating away at what little wealth exists, and we’re now seeing even moderate-income households slide backward.” this reality points to long-standing structural inequities that have kept many families in rental housing.
We’re grateful to WCVB for creating space for this conversation and for highlighting why asset-building, equity, and access to long-term financial tools are essential to economic well-being, now more than ever.
Missed the segment? Click to watch and join the conversation on strengthening financial security across the Commonwealth.
January 25, 2026 │ WCVB 5 CityLine: Watching Your Wallet │ Anchor, Jennifer Peñate
Poll Source: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/07/metro/massachusetts-voters-leaving-state-expensive-suffolk-poll/
