a house behind bushes

Letters to Regulators: Comment in Response to HUD RFI on Small Mortgage Lending

AFREF joined the National Fair Housing Alliance and local, state, and national organizations to submit comments in response to HUD’s “Request for Information Regarding Small Mortgage Lending.” Our comments focus on the importance of residential small-dollar lending (SDL), which is essential to building wealth and family opportunity for communities of color and low- and moderate-income families throughout the nation. For too long, homes in lower-priced markets have been starved of quality, sustainable, mortgage credit, both subject to and contributing to a history of residential segregation, neighborhood disinvestment, and lost wealth-building opportunity. This comment letter makes a number of suggestions to the FHA regarding how it can better promote small mortgage loans.

News Release: New Poll Shows Consumer Bureau Popular Across Party Lines

A new poll released today shows voters across the political spectrum overwhelmingly back the mission of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), financial regulation generally and a variety of new, specific consumer protections. The findings are released as the Supreme Court is poised to consider a lawsuit from payday lenders that could invalidate the CFPB’s funding mechanism, which would undermine its effectiveness.

CFPB

Letters: Letter Calling on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to Drop Lawsuit Against the CFPB

AFREF led a letter calling on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the banking associations to drop the lawsuit against the CFPB that would allow them to discriminate against similarly situated BIPOC communities. The lawsuit focuses on the Bureau’s warning that the federal prohibition on unfair practices covers discrimination, and that the Bureau will be using its examination authority to look for and address unlawful discrimination in financial services, including in areas outside of lending, The CFPB was well within its authority to take these actions. Discrimination is unfair and unlawful, and it should have no place in our financial system.

News Release: Department of Labor to Allow Retirement Plans to Consider Sustainability, Jobs, Equity, and Worker Rights

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Labor’s final rule takes an important step to safeguard the savings of millions of workers who participate in private-sector employee benefit plans by allowing workers’ private retirement plans and pensions to consider sustainability factors like climate change, workers’ rights, racial, economic and environmental justice, and corporate governance when investing and voting proxies.