It is way too early to predict whether the goodwill that the Obama administration has brought to the table will bear fruit in low- and middle-income communities, but the good feelings evident at the NCRC gathering have long been missing from scene.

Home foreclosures….job loss…health insurance, or lack thereof…plummeting 401ks….

Millions of Americans are hurting. And the hurt is crossing all racial, social and economic divides. No one is immune. People who never in their lives have needed help may now be knocking on your door.

Government efforts over the past 2 years have focused solely on the market and rescuing our financial services system. While I happen to be one of those community advocates who think letting the banks fail was not an option, I believe strongly that letting homeowners fail was also not an option.

But fail they have, by the millions, with 10-13 million more households in jeopardy, further insuring a worsening recession for our nations future.