Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation

From: Donna M Rose [mailto:housingall@juno.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2004 2:52 PM
To: Comments
Subject: Community Reinvestment -- RIN 3064-AC50

I oppose the FDIC's proposal to allow banks with assets above $250 million to be examined as small banks under the Community Reinvestment Act. This policy would reduce lending, investments and services in low-income communities.

The CRA requirement has been an impetus to numerous transactions we have been the beneficiaries of as a community development agency. Many of our products are targeted to low income neighborhoods, blighted communities, and are on average higher risk ventures. Without incentives under the CRA regulations I am certain few if any of the smaller institutions would be agressively seeking these opportunities. We still have a long way to come to overcome the loaning inequities of our predecessors and any reduction in obligation will only perpetuate these inequities once again.

Donna M. Rose
CEO, Monmouth Housing Alliance
Eatontown, NJ