Archives

Seattle Neighborhood Planning

At first glance, the Neighborhood Planning Program in Seattle, Washington, sounds like a remarkably progressive idea. Begun in 1995, the program is one of...

Planning Power

Many recent changes in Minneapolis, Minnesota – from community schools to traffic calming to new streetlights to community policing – are being designed, proposed,...

Financial “Progress” Leaves Communities Behind

For the past 20 years, the financial services industries have lobbied Congress to rewrite the key law that regulates them to better serve their...

Town & Gown: Making Research Serve Communities’ Needs

Academics often get a bad reputation for studying poor communities without involving them in study design. But some researchers are doing it differently.

Opportunity in Next Wave of Mergers

Final passage of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley bill means neighborhoods are likely to face two new investment battles, one local and one national. Locally, we'll face...

Hopeful Signs

We hate being bummed out at the end of a millennium. Makes it tough to enjoy those 00 years. But as we approach the...

Into Every Life a Little Sunshine Must Fall

An important part of the National Low Income Housing Coalition's mission to ensure decent, affordable housing within healthy neighborhoods for everyone is the work...

Shelter Shorts

New York City Sweeps Up HomelessNew York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has struck again, this time against the city's homeless. Homeless advocates were already...

Congress Passes, Communities Pay

The Gramm-Leach-Bliley paves the way for a wave of mergers creating Citigroup-like conglomerates that span banking, insurance and securities, and control hundreds of billions...

Capital Campaigns

Burdened by the typical funding limitation CDCs face – program specific, short term, restricted use, etc. – Isles, Inc. of Trenton, New Jersey decided...

You Get What You Need

To quote Mick Jagger, "You can't always get what you want, but if you try real hard, you'll get what you need." The CRA provisions...

Clearing the Air

The Bronx neighborhood of Hunts Point has one of the highest asthma rates in the world. Home to the world's largest food distribution center,...

Banks Spend Millions To Line Their Pockets With Your Money

In 1997 and 1998, banks, insurance companies, and brokerage firms spent over $300 million on lobbying and political contributions. While their "investment" in pushing...

Financial Reform Bill a CRA Coup, Despite Its Flaws

Though some have declared war on the financial services modernization legislation, it is important to keep perspective on issues such as the Community Reinvestment...

Communities Need to Capitalize on Financial Services Modernization Act

Seldom in legislation as complex as the recently enacted Financial Services Modernization Act does any group get everything it wants. In this case, however,...

CRA Weakened

The Community Reinvestment Act, a major tool for twenty years in bringing capital and fairer banking into low income neighborhoods, has been weakened by...

Rural Lending in the Financial Modernization Era

The banking industry has touted financial modernization as revolutionary legislation that will improve services and reduce costs for all Americans. The actual outcomes may...

Financial Modernization: A CRA Organizer’s Worst Nightmare

Shortly after the passage of the Financial Modernization Act, a banker was heard to say to Phyllis Salowe-Kaye, the executive director of New Jersey...

“Banking Jackpot”

"All in all, I think we hit the jackpot," President Ronald Reagan told a Rose Garden audience of congressmen and lobbyists celebrating the deregulation...

CRA Survives Its Toughest Challenge

There is nothing more exhilarating than to be shot at without result. –Winston Churchill The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) has survived the most serious attack in...