News

Authored by Joe Kriesberg
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Redlining and homeownership

February 27th, 2018 by Joe Kriesberg

The PBS News Hour broadcast an important two-part series this week about the continued challenges facing African Americans when they seek to obtain a mortgage to buy a home (see Part 1 and Part 2).  The story highlights that racial disparities between African Americans and whites remain extraordinarily high and that outright discrimination continues.  The story highlights the issues facing African American homeowners seeking home equity loans to fix their homes and the fact that lenders seem to prefer lending to upper-income whites moving into low-income areas as they do for lending to moderate-income African Americans who already live there.   The story highlights the potential for the Trump Administration to make changes to the Community Reinvestment Act – changes that are likely to make things worse, not better.   U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) points out the industry’s heavy reliance on credit scores has an unfair and disproportionately negative impact on African Americans.

 

The Mel King Institute and the Massachusetts Community Banking Council recently co-hosted an Innovation Forum event to highlight a new report that documents similar patterns here in Massachusetts. This is a problem that is getting worse and requires a significant response from local, state and federal government.  Indeed, the need to address homeownership for low and moderate-income families, in particular families of color, is emerging as a major agenda item in MACDC’s strategic planning process. More on that to come later.

 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/struggle-for-black-and-latino-mortgage-applicants-suggests-modern-day-redlining

 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/blacks-and-latinos-say-they-have-trouble-getting-home-loans-in-philadelphia-heres-whats-happening


MACDC Members Come Together for Annual Lobby Day at the State House

May 5th, 2016 by Joe Kriesberg

MACDC Members Come Together for Annual Lobby Day at the State House

MACDC Members from across the state traveled to the State House on Tuesday, May 3 for our annual Lobby Day, urging legislators to support funding for small business developmentforeclosure prevention counseling and housing programs, while also pressing for passage of strong economic development legislation.  This year’s event was a bit different than in the past, with the Luncheon Program dedicated to briefing legislators on the success of the Community Investment Tax Credit Program.  Senator O’Conner Ives, co-chair of the Jt. Committee on Community Development and Small Business, hosted the CITC briefing, which included remarks by Chrystal Kornegay, Undersecretary of the Department of Housing and Community Development, Joanne Campbell of Valley CDC and Jess Andors of Lawrence Community Works. 

Lobby Day also provided an opportunity for the MACDC Board to meet directly with Governor Charlie Baker.  The meeting provided MACDC with an opportunity thank the Governor for his support of many MACDC priorities and to briefing him about the success of CITC.  Our discussion also focused on his economic development legislation, the Massachusetts Food Trust program, and the need to support both community scale rental housing and new homeownership development.

 


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