Our Policy Agenda

Fair Lending
Millions of Americans are struggling to pay their home
mortgages. We see the evidence of the mistakes in
subprime lending in the current scourge of foreclosures.
Everyone is hurt: Families lose their homes. Banks lose
a significant portion of their investment. Surrounding
neighborhoods suffer a decline in property values. The
tax base of municipalities is threatened.
See our research on fair lending

Refund Anticipation Loans
CRA-NC supports efforts at building assets among
low-income households. RALs strip wealth, often among
households at the bottom of the economic spectrum.
See our research on RALs

Socially Responsible Investing
CRA-NC has developed a set of investment metrics for
the Community Investment Index Fund, a project of the
F.B Heron Foundation in conjunction with Innovest
Strategic Value Advisors.

The Community Investment Index is a positively
screened socially responsible investment fund. CRA-NC
provides an evaluation of financial institutions based on
public data and secondary sources to measure the
extent of mortgage, small business, and community
development funding to low-income, rural and minority
communities in the United States. The lenders are also
screened for predatory lending practices.

CRA-NC owns stock in 53 financial institutions for the
purposes of research and shareholder advocacy. Our
shareholder advocacy includes dialogue and resolutions
to address the negative business and social impacts of
subprime lending, payday lending, and refund
anticipation loans.

CRA
The Community Reinvestment Act compels financial
institutions to make capital available to borrowers
throughout the community. We engage in discussions
with banks and communities to realize the spirit of
this law.

Manufactured Housing
CRA-NC believes that non-profits can capitalize on
the promise contained within the affordability of
manufactured housing. Our underlying strategic
premise is that control over the land where housing is
sited confers residents with control over their destiny.
We have established North Carolina's first non-profit
owned land-lease community in Burnsville, North
Carolina. Our partners include:

North Carolina Housing Coalition
CFED I'm Home
Rep. David Price
Center for Participatory Change

One in six households in North Carolina lives in
manufactured housing. This is a misunderstood
housing type that deserves re-examination as a
viable path for homeownership. Systemic change in
financing, titling, tenure, and consumer protection are
needed to fully realize the sector's potential.

see our Research on manufactured housing

Check out our blog, Manufactured Housing Reader,
which provides regular commentary on the issues
surrounding this sector.