October 16, 2026, Credit Union Daily, Coalition of Consumer Groups Warns Against Revisions to CRA Rules
The National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) and a coalition of national consumer, civil Rights, housing and community development organizations are calling on federal banking regulators to withdraw proposed changes to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), warning the revisions would reduce lending and investment in underserved communities.
In an Oct. 13 statement, issued one day after the 49th anniversary of the CRA, the organizations urged the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) to abandon the proposal and instead strengthen requirements for banks to serve low- and moderate-income communities.
The groups contend the proposed changes would weaken incentives for affordable housing development, small business lending, community investment and partnerships between banks and community development financial institutions (CDFIs).
“When organizations representing communities, consumers, civil rights advocates and housing leaders across the country come together in opposition to a proposal, regulators should pay attention,” NCRC President and CEO Jesse Van Tol said in a statement.
Van Tol said weakening the CRA amid rising housing and living costs would undermine a longstanding tool for encouraging private investment in underserved communities.
