FDIC Federal Register Citations

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

October 14, 2004

Mr. Robert E. Feldman
Executive Secretary
Attention: Comments/Legal ESS
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
550 17th St. NW
Washington, DC 20429

RE: RIN 3064-AC50
Dear Mr. Feldman:

I write as Board Chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to express our opposition to watering down CRA (Community Reinvestment Act) requirements for mid-sized banks. CRA is vital for increasing homeownership and economic development in lower-income communities. The changes you propose will halt the progress that has been made.

Banks with over $250 million in assets must be tested on their number of loans, investments, and services to low- and moderate-income communities. Your proposal, however, would eliminate the investment and service requirements for all banks with under $1 billion in assets. This will mean significantly fewer loans and investments in affordable rental housing, health clinics, community centers, and economic development projects.

In the watered-down exam, you would allow mid-sized banks to choose which community development activities they will undertake. Today, these banks must make community development loans, investments, and services. Your suggested test allows banks to choose only one of the three. resulting in significantly less community development activity.

You also propose that community development activities in rural areas should benefit any group of individuals instead of only low- and moderate-income individuals. But this will allow banks to cherry-pick and focus on affluent residents of rural areas.rather than the lower income consumers CRA targets. Finally, you would also eliminate publicly available data on the small business lending of mid-sized banks. Without data, community groups and citizens cannot hold banks accountable for lending to small businesses in their neighborhoods.

Your changes directly oppose CRA's mandate to require lenders to meet community needs and eviscerate existing standards. CRA is too important to be gutted. Please drop your proposal as did the two other federal agencies that recognized its harm to underserved communities.

Sincerely,
Julian Bond
Chairman
NAACP National Board of Directors