The 2026 Just Economy Conference Session Schedule Announced
The heart of our conference, the session schedule, is now live. The content reflects shared challenges and wins in the face of a chaotic year, along with case studies from organizations that share your commitment to making a Just Economy both a national priority and a local reality. Explore the creative ways communities across the country are staying strong and getting the work done.[View Schedule / Register Here]
Research
Mortgage Market Report Series – Part 5: Top 50 Home Purchase Lenders Analysis For 2024
By Jason Richardson
By examining home purchase lending – the primary pathway for first-time homebuyers and those seeking to grow wealth through homeownership – we reveal a market dominated by non-bank mortgage companies. This market is plagued by a severe crisis in serving low- and moderate-income borrowers and characterized by troubling disparities in demographic access.[Read more]
Trapped By Success: How Benefits Cliffs Undermine Economic Mobility For Single Mothers
By Doug Mollett, Simon Wang, Manan Shah and Joseph Dean
One of the major challenges that was identified was the benefits cliff, which is when an individual’s increase in their annual earned income can trigger the loss of important social assistance benefits, such as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The loss of benefits can make it difficult for single mothers to support their households, leading them to compromise their financial security to retain their social assistance. [Read more]
Comments
NCRC Urges The OMB And Treasury To Reinstate Full Staff At The CDFI Fund
By NCRC
Terminating all staff at the CDFI Fund will fail the American promise to make Main Street a revitalized hub for small business growth, the creation of jobs, and economic opportunity for all. We ask you to reinstate staff at the CDFI Fund and ensure that all appropriated funding is released so that CDFIs across the country can continue to serve their communities. [Read more]
NCRC Comments On FHFA’s Proposed Affordable Housing Goals 2026-2028
By NCRC
NCRC urges the FHFA to abandon its proposed changes to the affordable housing goals. Lowering the single-family goals would likely significantly decrease lending and homeownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income families. [Read more]
Views
Early Success Stories From NCRC’s 2024 FEF Grantees
By Dia Henderson
These grants remain flexible and responsive to community needs to ensure community organizations’ continued impact despite challenging conditions. Each applicant was evaluated based on an 18-month plan that detailed the impact of their existing programming and a road map for implementing an FEF-supported project between November 2024 and May 2026. In August—the halfway point of the grant cycle period—grantees shared their progress on the transformational improvements to their programming they’ve been able to realize despite federal rollbacks and economic shifts. [Read more]
Is the Labor Market Stalling Or Re-calibrating? October 2025 Race, Jobs and the Economy Update
By Joseph Dean
With the federal government shutdown that began on October 1st ongoing, economic data releases from a plethora of federal agencies have ground to a halt. This also includes the jobs report issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Despite the lack of official government data, several private sources that collect labor market data have produced their own jobs reports to partially fill the gap left by the shutdown. [Read more]
Events
Plan Now, Save Later: Get Your Business Tax-Ready
November 13, 10 - 11:30 am ET
Tax season can be a challenging time for many business owners. In this session, a seasoned tax professional will share strategies to help you get organized, identify eligible deductions, and maximize your tax efficiency. You’ll learn how to prepare accurate financial records, understand quarterly tax obligations, and create end-of-year financial statements with confidence. Walk away with practical insights to avoid common tax pitfalls and position your business for financial success. [Register here]
Untangling Heirs’ Property: Practical Strategies For Housing Counselors
November 13, 2 - 3 pm ET
Heirs’ property continues to be a significant barrier to generational wealth and housing stability, particularly in communities of color and rural areas. This webinar will bring together researchers and practitioners to explore the complexities of heirs’ property and strategies for supporting families affected by it. Panelists will include representatives from the Housing Assistance Council (HAC), sharing recent research on heirs’ property, and Affordable Homes of South Texas, a housing counseling agency actively helping families navigate these challenges.[Register here]
Better Together: Community Voices, Hospitals And Banks Advancing Housing & Health
November 14, 1 pm ET
A hospital’s Community Health Improvement Plan guides part of its community benefit activities, much like a bank’s Community Reinvestment Act plan directs its community investments. In this session, learn how the ACA establishes incentive structures for engagement nationwide; explore a collaborative model from Philadelphia; and hear about the CRA-funded Building Life Opportunities and Options for Mothers. [Register here]
In The News
1977 Law That Effectively Ended Redlining Is Overdue For Updates, New Book Author Argues
By Mackenzie Krumme, Wisconsin Public Radio
Josh Silver, who worked for The National Community Reinvestment Coalition for more than 30 years, said the law provides an accountability mechanism and has increased lending in traditionally underserved, formally redlined communities. [Read more]
On Our Radar
Baltimore, Eyeing A ‘Renaissance,’ Passes A Slew Of Housing Reforms
By Ryan Kushner, Smart Cities Dive
The package helps undo some of the damage redlining has caused the city in the past, according to Scott, and joins a number of other city efforts to spark economic growth. “Baltimore’s renaissance is here,” Scott said.[Read more]
2025 Fair Housing Trends Report
By The National Fair Housing Alliance
The Fair Housing Act of 1968 established fair housing as the policy of the U.S. with a clear national mandate: to eliminate housing discrimination and foster inclusive, well-resourced communities. More than five decades later, that mandate remains unfilled. Housing discrimination continues to shape people’s access to opportunity, perpetuate segregation, and undermine economic security for millions of individuals and families throughout the United States. This year’s report, like those before it, demonstrates that discrimination in housing remains both pervasive and persistent, demanding continued vigilance and enforcement. [Read more]
Resources
Work And Meet At The Just Economy Club It's aDC hubfor nonprofits and the social sector, around the corner from the White House. Move your team into a private office or host your meetings and events.[Read more]
Learning & Training Hub Register for NCRC's catalog of professional development courses.[Learn more]
Research And Reports We have an extensive library of research and reports that dates back many years![View all]
Fair Lending Tool Use our interactive tool to produce a report on mortgages, small business lending and bank branch networks for any city, county or metro area in the nation. [Access the tool here]
Sign And Share The Just Economy Pledge Help us expand the movement for a Just Economy. [Sign and Share]
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