Advocacy, Coalitions, Community Benefits
The Community Reinvestment Act was a landmark civil rights law passed in 1977 to end discrimination that was once common in America’s banking and housing markets. NCRC leads campaigns, community coalitions, advocacy with federal policy makers and negotiations with lenders to fulfill their obligations under the law.
NCRC’s #TreasureCRA campaign seeks to strengthen and modernize it.
Since 2016, banks have pledged more than $338 billion in lending, investments and philanthropy through community benefits agreements negotiated with NCRC. We also serve as watchdogs, analyzing essential data to identify misbehaving financial institutions in our member communities.
What is the CRA?
The CRA is a law that requires banks to serve the credit needs of communities where they take deposits, including low- and moderate-income communities. The law was passed in 1977 to reverse redlining patterns, and promotes neighborhood revitalization. CRA makes wealth building more accessible by creating access to responsible home ownership opportunities, basic banking services, and capital for small businesses. The CRA also calls on banks to support affordable housing, small business development, social services and neighborhood stabilization in low- and moderate-income communities. Since its inception, advocates such as NCRC, have used the CRA to secure trillions of reinvestment dollars for underserved communities.
Click here for a manual on the CRA and here to learn more about the CRA’s widespread benefits.
Community Reinvestment Summits
NCRC hosts community reinvestment summits where stakeholders get together to discuss the most important issues facing their community and how to productively address them through working in coalitions. We have recently convened summits in Oregon, Ohio, Delaware, Maryland, and Louisiana.
How can you use the CRA?
NCRC offers crucial support to our members on how to use the CRA. NCRC provides research on bank behavior in your community, strategic consulting on how to approach banks, and other assistance to our members that increases their power to create positive outcomes for the neighborhoods they serve. We have brought hundreds of community groups into community benefits agreements with financial institutions.
Please contact NCRC for more information and to learn about the benefits of NCRC membership.
Policy Work
NCRC also works with legislators and regulators to strengthen the CRA, so that underserved communities have greater access to credit and capital.
Recent news on CRA:
What you need to know about income inequality
SLEHCRA, The Woodstock Institute and NCRC Oppose First Mid and Jefferson Banks’ Merger Application
CRA regulations, examination procedures should include explicit focus on race
Lawsuit paused after OCC moves to fully rescind disastrous 2020 CRA Rule Changes
Undoing Structural Racism: The Need for Systemic Change in Housing Policy
New Report: Massachusetts offers a model for expanding federal Community Reinvestment Act to independent mortgage companies
Massachusetts CRA for Mortgage Companies: A Good Starting Point for Federal Policy
NCRC applauds Administration’s Announced Move to Rescind Disastrous Trump-era CRA Rule Changes
