Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation

From: joanna_pi-sunyer@bshsi.com [mailto:joanna_pi-sunyer@bshsi.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2004 1:20 PM
To: Comments
Subject: Community Reinvestment -- RIN 3064-AC50

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 am writing to request that you to withdraw your proposed changes to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) regulations. My organization, Bon Secours of Maryland Foundation, knows firsthand that the CRA has been instrumental in increasing homeownership, boosting economic development, and expanding small businesses in the nation’s low- and moderate-income communities.

The CRA is crucial to the revitalization of communities and has been a valuable tool in Baltimore. In the past ten years, the Bon Secours of Maryland Foundation has built 479 units of affordable rental housing for families and seniors, and has helped to reverse the trend of disinvestment in our community.

The proposed FDIC rule would exempt many of our community’s key financial partners from the effective and productive requirements currently in place. We oppose any increase to the threshold of what is considered to be a small bank,and we urge the FDIC withdraw its proposed rule Sincerely,

Joanna Pi-Sunyer
Bon Secours of Maryland Foundation
Baltimre, MD