Financial Center Opens to Aid Atlanta’s Westside Communities

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​By Wilborn P. Nobles III - Wilborn.Nobles@ajc.com
DIGGING DEEPER FINANCES 
Atlanta’s Westside neighborhoods lack banking resources, but business leaders hope the latest opening of a new financial center will provide support for the underserved community.

Elected officials joined leaders from Equifax last week to celebrate the official debut of the On the Rise Financial Center and Quest Westside Impact Center.

About On The Rise Financial Center

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Located near the corner of Joseph E. Boone Boulevard and Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard, the center will offer residents free one-on-one financial coaching, including preparation for buying a home or starting a new business. 

Residents can also visit the center for access to credit union products, including banking services. It is funded through the credit reporting agency Equifax, as well as Invest Atlanta and the Arthur M. Blank Foundation.

Equifax officials call the Westside one of the most “underbanked” communities nationwide. The median household income in Vine City in 2018 was about $30,000 — which was half the citywide median at the time, according to U.S. Census data. And nearly 40% of residents in English Avenue live in poverty, about double the citywide rate.
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