A little-known law moves money into America’s low-income neighborhoods — but for whose benefit?

Author

Emily S. Lever, Craig Newmark Graduate School of JournalismFollow

Graduation Date

Fall 12-13-2019

Grading Professor

Jarrett Murphy

Subject Concentration

Urban Reporting

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Abstract

The Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 (CRA) is a federal financial regulation that was passed as a response to redlining, meaning the systematic denial of investment to poor and working-class communities and communities of color. The legislation rewards banks for making loans in low-income census tracts. But while CRA commitments drive investment to community development projects, it may also reward predatory or speculative investments whose recipients happen to be located in low-income communities.

Recommended Citation

Lever, Emily S., "A little-known law moves money into America’s low-income neighborhoods — but for whose benefit?" (2019). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gj_etds/390