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** Just News
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for April 1, 2022

News and views from the National Community Reinvestment Coalition. Find more at ncrc.org.

For continuous updates, follow us on Twitter ([link removed]) , FB ([link removed]) , LinkedIn ([link removed]) and I ([link removed]) G ([link removed]) .


** Announcements
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NCRC’s Fair Lending Tool Webinar
April 5, 1 - 2 pm ET
Join us to learn how to use NCRC’s interactive Fair Lending Tool to produce a report on mortgages, small business lending and bank branch networks for any city, county or metro area in the nation. [Register here ([link removed]) ]

2022 Just Economy Conference
The Just Economy Conference is back, live in DC, June 13-14. Don't miss it. [Register here ([link removed]) ]


** News
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Zest AI Joins NCRC’s Innovation Council for Financial Inclusion
Zest AI, a leader in software for AI-driven lending, has joined the National Community Reinvestment Coalition’s Innovation Council for Financial Inclusion. The Innovation Council is a forum to create collective action between the financial technology community and grassroots community leaders to advance financial inclusion and opportunities for low-wealth households and people of color. [Read more ([link removed]) ]

NCRC, OFN and 91 Community Groups Support SBA’s Community Advantage Pilot Program Reforms
In a letter to the SBA, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition and the Opportunity Finance Network, organizations that advised SBA on changes to the Community Advantage Pilot Program, were joined by 91 community and national organizations in support of the proposed reforms. [Read more ([link removed]) ]

NCRC Calls on the CFPB to Regulate Buy Now Pay Later Like Credit Cards
Buy Now Pay Later consumer finance products should be regulated as traditional credit cards, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition wrote to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. [Read more ([link removed]) ]


** Views
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The CFPB’s Announcement that Discrimination Is Unfair: Both Groundbreaking and a Statement of What We All Know to Be True
By Brad Blower and Anneliese Lederer
On March 16, 2022, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced that it would use its enforcement authority under the Consumer Financial Protection Act to prohibit unfair, deceptive and abusive acts and practices (UDAAP) that are discriminatory in areas of banking other than lending. [Read more ([link removed]) ]

To Achieve a Truly Just Economy, We Need to Prioritize the Needs of Working Mothers
By Monica Grover
Though remote work productivity skyrocketed in many ways during the pandemic, there is a trend to return to the old normal. The needs of working mothers are still not top of mind for many companies. The difference now is that women are not eager to return to antiquated workplaces that don’t work for them. [Read more ([link removed]) ]


** Field Notes
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NCRC Member Profile: Homeownership Council Of America
By Lupe Hernandez
NCRC’s membership includes more than 600 community-focused organizations in 44 states. Here’s an introduction to one of them, Homeownership Council of America, in Santa Ana, CA, from HCA’s Chief Operating Officer Lupe Hernandez. [Read more ([link removed]) ]

DCWBC ShopHer Profile: T&U Cashmere
By Deb Almond
This is the first in a series of profiles showcasing the talented entrepreneurs of ShopHER, a pop-up incubator for women-owned small businesses in the DC Metro Region. Our first interview is with Tosca Metz, owner of T&U Cashmere. [Read more ([link removed]) ]


** Events
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DCWBC: From Solopreneur to CEO: Build Your Business as an Emotionally Intelligent Leader
April 11, 11 am - 1 pm ET
Join NCRC to find out how to unlock the power of self-actualized emotional intelligence to transform your life and business. You will learn how to increase emotional intelligence and deploy your newfound knowledge to grow your small business. [Register here ([link removed]) ]

NCRC’s Jason Richardson Speaking At FHCCI’s Fair Housing Conference
April 12, 3:45 - 4:45 pm ET
Join NCRC’s Senior Director of Research Jason Richardson to learn more about bank branch closures at the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana’s (FHCCI) 10th Annual Fair Housing Conference (Virtual). [Register here ([link removed]) ]

Nonprofit Quarterly’s Remaking The Economy: How To Design Democratic Management
April 14, 2:00 pm ET
In this webinar, panelists will discuss how to design workplaces that effectively balance organizational performance with democratic management and governance. [Register here ([link removed]) ]


** In the News
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Can Community Finance Advance Racial Equity? It Takes an Ecosystem
By Steve Dubb, Nonprofit Quarterly
For example, Jesse Van Tol, CEO of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, explained that $384 billion in agreements with 14 banks that his organization helped negotiate with resulted in “$70-80 billion in net new activity.” Certainly, that is nothing to sneeze at, but it is also a lot less than $384 billion. [Read more ([link removed]) ]

Inside the Government’s Feeble Fight to End Redlining
By Georgia Kromrei, HousingWire
“What we’ve always argued is that these community benefits agreements should be bigger than they are, but we are constrained by the regulatory landscape,” said Jesse Van Tol, CEO of NCRC. “Look, what the bank regulators have done has been bullshit, but I wouldn’t want them to take over and say, ‘We know what the community needs are.’” [Read more ([link removed]) ]

Bank Branches, Once Retail Staple, Closing by the Hundreds
By Patrick Sisson, Commercial Observer
“There’s a surprising lack of information and data on how many branches banks really need right now,” said Jason Richardson, senior director of research at NCRC, which recently released a report digging into bank branch trends and their impact on the financial future of communities. “We’ve seen a precipitous decline since the pandemic started, and I don’t know what a bottom looks like to this.” [Read more ([link removed]) ]

Budgeting Tips for New Homeowners
By MarketWatch
The Housing Counseling Network at NCRC is a HUD-approved collective of agencies made up of mortgage advisers offering guidance on budgeting, credit, financial management and savings techniques. Its director, Ibijoke Akinbowale, recommends planning to spend 1%–2% of your home’s purchase price in ongoing costs for maintenance each year. [Read more ([link removed]) ]


** On Our Radar
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Fed Watching Red-Hot Housing Market for Financial Stability Risks
By Kyle Campbell, American Banker
Home prices, the number of first-time buyers and the share of properties being bought as nonprimary residences are all at or near the cyclical highs of the mid-2000s housing bubble, Fed. Gov. Christopher Waller said during a Thursday webinar on U.S. and Israeli real estate hosted by Rutgers and Tel Aviv University. He called the growth in the housing market a “singular feature of the US expansion since the COVID-19 recession.” [Read more ([link removed]) ]

On Transgender Day of Visibility, White House Announces Moves to Expand Trans Rights
By Deepa Shivaram, NPR
The Biden Administration on Thursday announced changes in the travel process and access to health resources to expand the rights of transgender and nonbinary Americans. The White House also announced several other initiatives as part of Transgender Day of Visibility. [Read more ([link removed]) ]

Collins to Back Jackson for Supreme Court, Giving Her a G.O.P. Vote
By Carl Hulse, The New York Times
Senator Susan Collins of Maine plans to vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, ensuring that President Biden’s nominee and the first Black woman to be put forward for the post will receive at least one Republican backer. [Read more ([link removed]) ]

This Week: House Set to Vote on Marijuana Legalization Bill Friday
By Jordain Carney, The Hill
Marijuana is still illegal on the federal level, but that could change this week. The House will vote on the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, also known as "MORE," on Friday. [Read more ([link removed]) ]


** Resources
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A DC Hub for Nonprofits, Events and Work
For nonprofits and social sector ventures in DC: Do your work and meetings at the new Just Economy Club in DC. It’s hosted by NCRC in the historic Union Trust building at 15th and H Streets, just around the corner from The White House. [Read more ([link removed]) ]

New Learning & Training Hub
Our new learning management system is live! It is designed with you in mind, offering a more robust experience for every kind of learner. [Learn ([link removed]) more ([link removed]) ]

Browse Our Collection of Research and Reports
We have an extensive library of research and reports that dates back many years; now available in one convenient location! [View all ([link removed]) ]

Browse Our Collection of Racial Wealth Snapshots
Over the past two years, NCRC has put together a catalog of Racial Wealth Snapshots. [View all ([link removed]) ]

Sign and Share the Just Economy Pledge
America should not only promise but deliver to all Americans opportunities to build wealth and live well. Sign the pledge and share it to help us expand the movement for a Just Economy. [Sign and Share ([link removed]) ]

Member Hub
NCRC members: Don't forget you have access to our member hub ([link removed]) ! Learn more about membership here ([link removed]) . You can join as an organization or an individual ([link removed]) .

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] ([link removed])

TreasureCRA Page
CRA will be essential for COVID-19 economic recovery in the communities hardest hit by the pandemic. Use the tools on this page to reach your friends and local leaders. [Read more] ([link removed])

Support our work

Join the Just Economy Club, the network for individuals who support NCRC’s research, publishing, investigations, training, advocacy and programs.
Join Here ([link removed])

Jobs

We are always looking for talented people.
Click here to see job openings. ([link removed])

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