The Community Reinvestment Act: Guilty, but Not as Charged

(Excerpt) With the goals of assessing the state of the research on the CRA and drawing some insights into what reforms this research suggests, this Article proceeds as follows. Part I provides an overview of the CRA's structure and reach. Part II provides an overview of the impact of the financial crisis on low- and moderate-income communities, particularly communities of color. Part III assesses the current state of the research, with particular emphasis on the NBER report described above.

Part IV identifies the disconnect between the CRA's reach and its goals given the current state of banking and makes suggestions for reforms to make the CRA more responsive to banking in the twenty-first century.