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Interagency Statement on Special Purpose Credit Programs Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and Regulation B

Supervisory Guidance
February 22, 2022

Summary:

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (FRB), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (hereafter, the agencies) are issuing an interagency statement to remind creditors of the ability under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and Regulation B to establish special purpose credit programs to meet the credit needs of specified classes of persons. Many financial institutions have publicly committed billions of dollars to better meet the needs of underserved communities, and the statement calls attention to the special purpose credit options under ECOA and Regulation B.

Statement of Applicability: This Financial Institution Letter applies to all FDIC-supervised financial institutions.

Highlights:

  • On December 21, 2020, the CFPB issued an Advisory Opinion (AO) on special purpose credit programs to clarify the content that a for-profit organization must include in a written plan that establishes and administers a special purpose credit program under Regulation B. In addition, the AO clarified the type of research and data that may be appropriate to inform a for-profit organization’s determination to establish a special purpose credit program to benefit a specified class of persons.
  • Previously, some stakeholders expressed uncertainty as to the treatment of ECOA and Regulation B special purpose credit programs under the Fair Housing Act (FHA). On December 7, 2021, HUD released guidance concluding that special purpose credit programs instituted in conformity with ECOA and Regulation B generally do not violate the FHA. Accordingly, creditors may consider the use of special purpose credit programs across all types of credit covered by ECOA and Regulation B.
  • As creditors consider how they may expand access to credit to better address special social needs, the agencies encourage creditors to explore opportunities to develop special purpose credit programs consistent with ECOA and Regulation B requirements as well as applicable safe and sound lending principles.
Attachment(s)
CFPB Advisory Opinion on Special Purpose Credit Programs
HUD Guidance on Special Purpose Credit Programs
Related Topics
Consumer Compliance/Protection

Last Updated: February 22, 2022