Community Development Innovation Review

February 2009
«


The Community Reinvestment Act: Outstanding, and Needs to Improve

Author(s):

The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) of 1977 responded to charges of redlining and discrimination by financial institutions. It induces depository institutions to “help meet the credit needs of the local communities in which they are chartered” in a manner “consistent with the safe and sound operation of such institutions.” With these guiding principles and broad regulator discretion as to how to implement them, the act has proven flexible and adaptable over time.

Download the article (pdf, 419.29 kb)

Other articles in this issue

A Framework for Revisiting the CRA

The Community Reinvestment Act and the Recent Mortgage Crisis

The 30th Anniversary of the CRA: Restructuring the CRA to Address the Mortgage Finance Revolution

The CRA within a Changing Financial Landscape

It’s the Rating, Stupid: A Banker’s Perspective on the CRA

The Community Reinvestment Act at 30 Years

A Tradable Obligation Approach to the Community Reinvestment Act

The Community Reinvestment Act: Past Successes and Future Opportunities

A More Modern CRA for Consumers

CRA Lending During the Subprime Meltdown

Expanding the CRA to All Financial Institutions

What Lessons Does the CRA Offer the Insurance Industry?

CRA 2.0: Communities 2.0

The Community Reinvestment Act: 30 Years of Wealth Building and What We Must Do to Finish the Job

The CRA as a Means to Provide Public Goods

Putting Race Explicitly into the CRA

Community Reinvestment Emerging from the Housing Crisis

A Principle-Based Redesign of HMDA and CRA Data

The Community Reinvestment Act: Good Goals, Flawed Concept

A Banker’s Quick Reference Guide to CRA