Analysis and points of view on research, trends, issues, ideas and opportunities.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently proposed a rule that sounds technical but could have serious implications for regular families. They want to change how they decide when to investigate financial companies, making it much harder to step in before people get seriously hurt. Right now, if there’s good reason to think a financial company might be
Why the CFPB’s Proposed Rule Changes Miss the Mark Read More »
Housing advocates at the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council (MMFHC) have created an impactful toolkit for vulnerable communities that continue to be impacted by the legacy of redlining. MMFHC traces its roots back to 1977 when Milwaukee’s Sherman Park neighborhood was beginning to become racially integrated. At the time, Sherman Park was a mostly white
The Center for Regional Strategies (CRS) is fostering sustainable wealth for residents in western New York by creating innovative economic growth models that increase household income and attract opportunities to the region. CRS serves as a central hub for connecting organizations to funders and collaborating with government offices, developers and community groups. Together, they build
New York’s Center for Regional Strategies’ Program Model for Creating Community Wealth Read More »
The August BLS jobs report, along with other economic data released in the same week, provides a window into a labor market losing its resilience amid continued uncertainty. The economy added only 73,000 jobs while the unemployment rate increased to 4.2%. The most shocking finding from the report was the massive downward revision of May
An Inflection Point Has Been Reached: August 2025 Race, Jobs and the Economy Update Read More »
Severe cuts to social assistance programs recently signed into law by President Trump will upend life for lower-income families — and could even put people out of their homes. Belinda is a senior citizen living in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. In 2004, she qualified for a home loan with a monthly payment of $130 based
President Trump’s Severe Medicaid and SNAP Cuts Will Sabotage Economic Justice Work Read More »
All Americans deserve to live in inclusive communities where everyone has access to the resources that their communities desperately need. But a federal program designed to make that happen is going underused by local officials who often aren’t aware of its existence. If properly utilized, the program’s provisions towards creating more equitable housing outcomes would
How Municipalities Can Better Leverage AFFH’s Community Engagement Requirement Read More »
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides assistance to low-income individuals and families for food purchases. That basic support is, ideally, a platform for SNAP recipients to advance up the economic ladder. High-quality educational opportunities, job and career training, and support services are important in helping those receiving SNAP benefits achieve economic self-sufficiency. That’s where
Understanding SNAP’s E&T Programs and the Role of Third-Party Providers Read More »
For 19 years, Solita’s House has been a pillar in the Tampa, FL community by bridging the housing gap through a range of counseling and education programming that is designed to get residents “mortgage ready.” “It’s really about [helping] people understand the connection between the programs that are available in their area and how to
A Right, Not a Privilege: Solita’s House’s vision to make homeownership more attainable Read More »
Since 2020, the African American Trade Association (AATA) has supported Denver-area Black-owned businesses with programs that help them strengthen their internal mechanisms and further their external reach. AATA’s first programs included technical assistance for minority and women-owned businesses, including providing them with access to capital guidance, connecting them to IT-related services, and other forms of
The Numbers Tell Important Stories When KeyBank was held to account for apparent redlining practices, it wasn’t just gut instinct or anecdotal evidence that led to these findings. Behind those headlines were detailed data reports showing systematic patterns in who gets loans and who doesn’t. This is the kind of analysis NCRC provides to members every
Data Drives The Movement: NCRC’s various data and research resources for members Read More »
Advocates are suing the Trump administration for refusing to enforce anti-discrimination laws supported by CFPB Section 1071 small business lending data.
For the past decade, Richmond’s Virginia Community Voice (VACV) has been a blueprint for how organizations can drive equitable community engagement, amplify citizens’ voices and foster radical healing in their own backyards. VACV’s work centers on creating and implementing equitable processes for addressing community needs by empowering residents to identify challenges in their own neighborhoods
The labor market added 147,000 new jobs last month while the unemployment rate declined to 4.1%. Both metrics were met with surprise by macroeconomic forecasters as they were considerably outside of consensus estimates. The report surprised many given the continued economic uncertainty spurred by the ongoing trade wars with other countries. While the topline figure
The Stalling of the Job Market: July 2025 Race, Jobs and the Economy Update Read More »
Hospitals are the largest employers in many cities, serving as major economic anchors for their communities. When a hospital merges with a local competitor or downsizes, the ripple effects can harm local jobs, small businesses and even property values. If administrators decide to close a hospital, it can leave a city with no full-service medical
First Do No Harm: How Hospital Mergers Hurt Communities Read More »
The future of housing often feels solely in the hands of large private developers and politicians. But the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations (PACDC) has spent the last three decades working to tip the scales in favor of everyday people. Since its founding in 1992, PACDC has served as the connective tissue between more
