New Medford Program Uses Credit Counseling to Keep Families From Losing Their Homes

MEDFORD Ore. — Thanks to support from Medford’s Council Community Initiative Fund (CCIF), the nonprofit Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Southern Oregon (CCCS) helped 22 families avoid falling into homelessness.

In September 2024, Medford Projects got a $570,000 boost from the Council’s CCIF to support various community organizations and programs. The CCIF is funded by local and state marijuana tax revenue and supports projects that enhance community well-being, improve public spaces, and expand educational and cultural opportunities.

At a Medford City Council Meeting on June 18, one of the beneficiaries, CCCS, told Councilors that the $35,000 the organization received from CCIF enabled it to expand its services, creating a first-of-its-kind program in Oregon to help clients save money through one-on-one credit counseling, financial education, and debt-management enrollment.

The savings can run up to hundreds of dollars per month.

CEO Bill Ihle said, “Three to four hundred dollars can make the difference between being homeless or having food on the table for these clients.”

CCCS- established in 1971, serves over 3,000 clients annually, with 90% of its clientele classified as low-income. For more information on the CCCS program, visit improvedcredit.org.