Analysis and points of view on research, trends, issues, ideas and opportunities.
Low-income women of color in America bear the weight of racism, sexism and classism – both in their interactions with other people, and more insidiously, baked into the nation’s policies, systems and cultural assumptions.
This article focuses on the views of NCRC member organizations and community-based allies. If community organizations could write the CRA regulations, the CRA would increase in rigor, grade inflation would be curbed and the focus would be on underserved populations including low- and moderate-income populations, tribal communities, people of color, rural communities and people with disabilities.
Our care systems, deeply rooted in racial and gender inequities for those providing paid and unpaid care work, are in need of an overhaul.
Women have made great strides in the workplace, comprising nearly half of the workforce, and surpassing men in higher education achievement. Yet, women still make less income, have less wealth, and face greater economic instability than men.
Having access to affordable child care is essential to having labor force participation from women, who, due to sexist societal and traditional gender roles combined with lower wages than men, struggle between workforce participation or the care and education of their children.
Entrepreneurship is not a successful venture without the right tools. One of these tools is access to credit – the money needed to start a business, expand or deal with ebbs and flows in revenue.
The following are principles of reform; if the agencies contradict or contravene these principles, we will oppose any additional regulatory changes just as we have opposed the OCC final rule. Reforming CRA must not become a pretext for relaxing CRA.
In a previous article, I described how some big issues on reforming the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) exposed a considerable difference of views among community groups and the banking industry. However, there was some convergence of views on a series of other important issues, including performance measures and ratings categories. On these issues, the remaining differences appear to be manageable.
Overrepresentation in consumer-facing jobs, poverty and lack of wealth are all aspects that put women of color in high levels of physical and financial danger during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll publish essays from NCRC staff, members, local leaders and national partners who can give a voice to the concerns, issues and solutions for women, specifically Black, indigenous and women of color, who have been living through and managing this health and economic crisis for the past year.
When banks promote outreach to marginalized groups, while granting loans to organizations that openly discriminate against these same groups, it sends a mixed message to their communities. These messages can be avoided with proper research.
Reading the comment letters from industry and community groups regarding the Federal Reserve Board’s (board) Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), I am reminded of the childhood tale of the “Little Engine that Could,”
Even with a conservatorship that has constrained many of the key functions of these institutions, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac remain vital participants in the nation’s affordable housing ecosystem. Going forward, it is critical that they not be hamstrung by excessive capital requirements that will make mortgage credit more unaffordable for low- and moderate-income and minority borrowers and communities, and undermine the ability of the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) to help meet the scale of the affordable housing challenges facing the nation.
Dr. Williams was not just a leader in the academic marketing field, but a giant. For the past 30 years, he spent his career working to change the system. He was a prolific author who mentored many people, including me.
