The Proposed 2026 CRA Rollbacks: Key Takeaways And Why It Matters
By NCRC
In response to the proposed rule the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation recently announced, NCRC prepared a primer on key takeaways and how the proposal would weaken bank obligations to invest, lend and provide services in low- and moderate-income communities and reduce transparency and accountability. [Read more]
News
NCRC, Woodstock Institute And Rise Economy Oppose OppFi’s Proposed Merger With BNC Bank
By NCRC NCRC, Woodstock, and Rise Economy submitted a comment letter strongly objecting to the merger of BNC Bank with OppFi, Inc, a high-cost lender that offers unaffordable loan products to consumers and small businesses. The proposed merger would allow OppFi to abandon its “rent-a-bank” model and gain direct access to the banking system. [Read more]
NCRC Submits Comment On Federal Reserve Proposal Regarding The Creation Of Payment Accounts
By NCRC
NCRC submitted a comment letter regarding a proposal to expand Federal payments system access to eligible nonbankssuch as fintech payment apps, cryptocurrency companies, and other financial technology firms, urging the Federal Reserve to require applicants to meet consumer protection and community-serving requirements. [Read more]
Research
Nashville Summit Report Series: August 2026. Barriers & Solutions for Workforce Development
By Devin Thompson
While the workforce development ecosystem shares many challenges with other sectors, the dialogues uncovered unique structural flaws that specifically penalize economic mobility and block access to high-quality careers. These barriers center on misaligned incentives, exclusionary practices and policy restrictions that shrink the labor pool. [Read more]
Bank Branch Trends For 2026 (2nd Quarter): Continued Growth In The Southeast And Southwest Metros
By Jason Richardson
The nation’s bank branch network changed little compared with the first three months in the second quarter of 2026, with 261 openings and 248 closings. This is the third straight quarter of net gains in branches, something that we haven’t seen since 2009. It has been a long time since we could say bank branches were growing in this country. 17 years ago, the Great Recession ended seven years of continuous branch growth. [Read more]
Views
Minnesota Consortium Of Community Developers Secure Millions For Affordable Housing And Small Business Development
By Kaitlyn Ridel
Like most states, Minnesota is facing an affordable housing shortage with over 100,000 residences needed for low-income residents. The Minnesota Consortium of Community Developers, a network of community development organizations, is working to fill this gap. [Read more]
A Place At The Table: What Black Immigrant Entrepreneurs Teach Us About The American Dream
By Oyindoubra Akika
For many immigrants, home is not simply a place they leave behind. It’s something they carry with them and, sometimes, find in familiar foods, shared traditions and communities thousands of miles away. By 2000, Columbus, Ohio was home to more than 11,000 African-born residents as a result of a wave of immigration that had occurred in the 1990s. Joanne Mapis was one of them, carrying the tastes and traditions of home with her as she began building a life in a new city. [Read more]
Mobility Monitor: Expanding American Housing Supply Will Require Investment In Workforce Development
By Simon Wang
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act was recently passed into law without President Trump’s signature, marking the most significant federal legislative action on housing in over 20 years. Although the president refused to sign the bill into law without other strings attached, lawmakers’ interest in housing affordability appears solidified heading into the midterms. That said, the push to build more housing and reduce costs for Americans faces a looming challenge that has yet to be addressed: the shortage of workers in construction and the skilled trades.[Read more]
Events
Get Funding Ready: What Lenders And Investors Want To See
August 11, 10-11 am ET
Securing funding starts long before you submit an application. In this practical workshop, you’ll learn what lenders and investors evaluate when determining whether a business is ready for financing. We will walk through the key components of a strong funding package, including financial statements, cash flow, credit, business planning, and supporting documentation. [Register here]
The Last House On The Block: Lessons From Brightmoor, Detroit On Disinvestment, Reinvestment And Community Power
August 13, 1-2 pm ET
Using Detroit’s Brightmoor neighborhood as a case study, this conversation explores what happens when gentrification collides with deep depopulation, and what that reveals about investment, neighborhood change and who gets to shape a community’s future. [Register here]
Employer Engagement Made Easy: Insights from SNAP E&T Third-Party Partners
August 13, 1-2 pm ET
Employer engagement is a key piece of any successful workforce development strategy. Building relationships with employers can help workforce providers stay up to date with industry standards, create job placement pipelines, and even support employment and training programs financially. In the final session of the 2025-26 series, NCRC’s Economic Mobility Team will be joined by a panel of workforce development providers who have successfully built partnerships with employers to learn practical strategies for engaging employers as partners in the SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) ecosystem. [Register here]
In The News
Stablecoin Firm Dakota Applies For OCC Trust Banking Charter
By Dan Ennis, BankingDive
Wise plans to submit a new application under a Genius Act framework. That legislation, governing the regulation of digital assets, is set to take effect by January. Still, some trust charter applications have generated backlash from banking trade groups such as the Bank Policy Institute and Independent Community Bankers of America, as well as the nonprofit National Community Reinvestment Coalition. [Read more]
Trump Admin Revamp Of Anti-Redlining Law Targets Activist Groups
By Claire Williams, American Banker
"This is going to result in a significant decrease in bank investment and lending in working class communities across the country, but especially in rural areas," said Jesse Van Tol, National Community Reinvestment Coalition CEO and president. "Small banks will no longer have an investment test whatsoever, and those are the very banks that serve a lot of rural communities. So they specifically will no longer have an obligation under CRA to invest in things like affordable housing or make loans for economic development to specifically the businesses that are creating jobs for working class people."[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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