Empty Shelves and the Possibility of a Recession: May 2025 Race, Jobs and the Economy Update
Analysis of Topline Figures in the May BLS Report The economy added 177,000 jobs in April while the unemployment rate remained at 4.2%. The February and March job gains were revised down by 15,000 and 43,000, respectively. The April job gains came primarily in the healthcare and education (+58,000), transportation and warehousing (+29,000), and leisure
NCRC Announces Extension For Housing Counseling Services Grant Applications
The National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) announced today it is extending the application period for its new Housing Counseling Services (HCS) grant program to May 30, 2025, for new select geographies. The HCS program, a part of the well-established, multi-year Field Empowerment Fund (FEF), was launched in February through a partnership with KeyBank. The current
Dissecting the 2026 Skinny Budget: A Closer Look at Cuts to Economic and Equity Programs
The Trump Administration’s fiscal plan for 2026, also known as the president’s “skinny budget,” proposes severe cuts to many programs that Americans rely on. The following cuts may have a significant impact for NCRC members: Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Under the skinny budget, HUD will see a 46% cut in funding, including
NCRC Opposes Repeal Of Sensible, Sound Bank Merger Rules
Proposed bank mergers should welcome public scrutiny, instead of demanding special treatment.
The Heart of Workforce Equity: Community-Based Organizations’ Crucial Role in the Workforce Development Ecosystem
In today’s rapidly evolving labor market, many Americans need support navigating the complex education and training options that help them build the necessary skills for a changing world. These varied pathways – from credentialing programs and apprenticeships to on-the-job training – are collectively known as workforce development. Workforce development is not just a policy buzzword,
Swiped Away: How Rising Credit Card Fees Are Affecting Colorado’s Small Businesses
The Colorado General Assembly has recently introduced a bill that would protect small businesses from dubious credit card swipe fees that are cutting into their profits. The Swipe Fee Fairness and Consumer Safeguards Act seeks to level the playing field for small businesses by putting an end to the practices that allow swipe fees to
How Tariffs Drive Up Mortgage Costs and Undermine Homeownership
The Trump Administration’s trade war continues to roil both the financial markets and key economic indicators, such as consumer sentiment. The anxiety around the market has even spread to the US Treasury market, where the damage could cause borrowing costs for households to rise, especially for home mortgages. A bond is essentially a loan, either
NCRC Submits Comment Letter on HUD’s 2025 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Interim Final Rule
(Download) Secretary Scott Turner Department of Housing and Urban Development 451 7th Street, SW Washington, DC 20410 Re: Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, [Docket No. FR-6519-I-01], 90 FR 11020 May 2, 2025 Dear Secretary Turner: The National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) appreciates the opportunity to submit written comments to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Van Tol: Trump Administration’s Small Business Loan Data Blackout Abandons Rule of Law
Lawlessness by Trump administration leaders must be thwarted, from the radicals now destroying the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or anyone else.
How Community Land Trusts Create Lasting Change
Social movements have been a crucial part of every major political shift in modern history. However, in between moments of upheaval, having structures in place that can survive the whims of both politics and market forces is incredibly important in continuing the momentum of those movements for societal change. During the Civil Rights Movement, activists
Cultivating a Green Workforce in Bridgeport
In 2002, Adrienne Farrar Houël returned to the United States after a successful 25-year career in international marketing and real estate development in France, Russia and Ireland “to retire,” she said, laughing at the obvious contradiction. For the past two decades, Farrar Houël and her colleagues at Greater Bridgeport Community Enterprises have been anything but
Black Developers Collective Aims to Keep the Black Dollar in the Community
When someone spends a dollar, where does it go? The answer depends entirely on who they spent it with. If you bought something from a business, does that business buy its supplies locally or from somewhere else? When the business owner takes your money home with them, are they going around their corner to their
Fair Housing Month Spotlight: Fighting Back with Testing and Local Action
Every April, Fair Housing Month gives us the chance to reflect on both the progress we’ve made as a country toward realizing housing equity and the challenges that remain. Discrimination in housing has not disappeared and, in many ways, it has simply changed form. That is why the tools NCRC uses to identify and address
Dreaming Big in Our Own Backyards At The 2025 Just Economy Conference
Dreaming Big in Our Own Backyards: Bold, Local Action in a Hostile Federal Environment At The 2025 Just Economy Conference; a conversation about systemic racism and structural inequality and how communities can take their power back. Speakers: Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Pulitzer Prize Finalist; Hughes-Rogers Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University Dr. Tiffany Crutcher, Executive
Capital One-Discover Federal Approval Leaves State AGs as Last Line of Defense
After federal regulators voted Friday to allow Capital One to buy Discover, NCRC President and CEO Jesse Van Tol released the following statement: “The feds got this one wrong – so it falls to state Attorneys General to intervene against the harmful, anticompetitive Capital One-Discover merger.”
NCRC Statement on Attempted CFPB Mass Firings
“The Constitution couldn’t be clearer on this stuff — And they are defying it anyway.”
Fellowship Programs: A Catalyst for Lasting Change and Systemic Impact
From the United States’ earliest beginnings, progress has been hampered by the challenges of building community-level capacity, which is undermining economic mobility for most Americans. Today’s economy has created an extremely competitive workforce environment where many talented, young individuals struggle to find meaningful career pathways that align with their values. Young professionals, those in the
NCRC Statement On President Trump’s Attempt To Illegally Fire Congressionally-Confirmed NCUA Board Members
In response to President Trump’s illegal attempt to fire duly appointed and Congressionally confirmed members of the National Credit Union Administration board, National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) President and CEO Jesse Van Tol released the following statement: “The president can’t just fire people the Congress confirmed for years-long terms. The Constitution isn’t a set of
Carol Johnson Elected Chair of NCRC Board of Directors
Carol Johnson is the new NCRC Board Chair, bringing decades of experience fighting for civil rights at local, state and national levels.
The Recessionary War on Workers: April 2025 Race, Jobs and the Economy Update
Analysis of Topline Figures in the April BLS Report The economy added 228,000 jobs in March, while the unemployment rate increased to 4.2%. In the midst of a brewing trade war and talks of a potential recession, the job gains caught forecasters off guard. We should note that the reference period for the establishment survey
Acting Comptroller of the Currency Rodney Hood Speaks At The 2025 Just Economy Conference
The OCC’s Acting Comptroller of the Currency Rodney Hood spoke at the 2025 Just Economy Conference on how financial inclusion is the civil rights issue of our time.
Fireside Chat Between NCRC President and CEO Jesse Van Tol and National Urban League President Marc Morial At The 2025 Just Economy Conference
NCRC President and CEO Jesse Van Tol sits down with National Urban League President Marc Morial to discuss the current political environment.
NCRC And Its Members Expand Fair Banking Options In Underserved Communities
Imagine relying solely on predatory payday lenders or prepaid debit cards to secure the funds needed to meet your daily expenses. This is the reality for the 5.6 million households in the United States without access to the financial services that a bank or credit union can provide to historically underserved communities. Whether it’s an
Rep. Maxine Waters Speaks At The 2025 Just Economy Conference
Rep. Maxine Waters speaks at the 2025 Just Economy Conference on the importance of the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Fund, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
NCRC Announces Dates For The 2026 Just Economy Conference
The National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) will host the 2026 Just Economy Conference on April 13-14 in Washington, DC, with their members-only Hill Day occurring on April 15. Mark your calendars now, because 2026 will be here before you know it. You do NOT want to miss the national event for community, policy, government, business