Barbara Lee Condemns Disparities in Minority Mortgage Lending New Report Finds Blacks, Latinos More Vulnerable to Predatory Lending
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) joined Congressman Melvin Watt (D-NC), the Center for Responsible Lending and members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) at a press conference on Thursday to discuss a new report that found that African-Americans and Latinos are 30 percent more likely than whites to be victims of predatory lending.
“This report makes it clear that minority communities continue to be the target of predatory lenders who are effectively stealing their equity,” said Lee. “You should not pay more for a loan because of the color of your skin, yet that is exactly what is happening. This is an example of institutional racism in its most glaring form,” said Lee.
The report by the non-profit, non-partisan Center for Responsible Lending found that, even after accounting for factors such as credit scores and other risk factors, Latinos are 2.3 times more likely and African Americans are 3.7 times more likely to receive a high cost subprime loan than their white counterparts. The report is based on an analysis of information collected under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA), and is available online at http://www.responsiblelending.org/reports/HMDA2006.cfm
“We will not overcome the existing disparities in wealth and homeownership as long as people of color continue to be disproportionately vulnerable to predatory lending,” said Lee. “Ending these discriminatory practices is a key first step to closing the homeownership and wealth gap and breaking the cycle of disparities.”
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