Redlining

Though outlawed by the Fair Housing Act in 1968, the racist housing practice perpetuated a wealth gap for Black people still widening today.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has proposed an overhaul of an Obama-era rule meant to guide local jurisdictions in how they comply with the Fair Housing Act.

The city of Philadelphia and Wells Fargo have agreed to resolve a 2017 lawsuit in which the city accused the bank of violating the Fair Housing Act by steering minority borrowers into risky, high-cost loans.

Without admitting wrongdoing, the bank has agreed to contribute $10 million to city programs promoting homeownership for low- and moderate-income residents.

House Democrats described the disparate impact standard as "the most important tool" for enforcing the Fair Housing Act.

The National Credit Union Administration has unveiled a proposal to address a federal judge's concerns that its 2016 field-of-membership overhaul could discourage lending in low-income areas.

Institutions that offer fewer than 500 open-end lines of credit will get another two-year exemption from reporting requirements under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act.

With its proposal to restrict disparate-impact claims, the Trump administration seems determined to solve a problem that does not exist.

The agency says the "disparate impact" standard needs to be amended to align with a recent Supreme Court ruling. But consumer advocates say the change would make it more difficult for borrowers to allege discrimination under the Fair Housing Act.

Under a proposal yet to be officially unveiled, plaintiffs relying on the so-called “disparate impact” doctrine would have to show a more direct link between a lender’s policy and discriminatory effect.

The little-known unit was launched in the wake of efforts by the CFPB and HUD to cut back on fair-lending activities, but the reach of the 10-month-old office is still unclear.

Revised legislation would exclude credit unions from Community Reinvestment Act requirements, but could make the National Credit Union Administration the de facto enforcer of how CUs meet the needs of underserved markets.

Reps. Lacy Clay and Emanuel Cleaver, both from Missouri, have shown interest in running the panel that could be a focal point in efforts to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The senator’s bill to reform the 40-year-old law and expand housing investments could gain clout as Democrats look to pick up congressional seats and she eyes a presidential run.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued an interpretive rule Friday to clarify changes made to the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act that were mandated by President Trump's regulatory relief law.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s questions for the public to comment on the decades-old law could illuminate a path forward as regulators struggle to agree on an updated policy.

The Supreme Court upheld using “disparate impact” over three years ago. But with HUD weighing a policy change, banks and advocacy groups are still at odds over the court decision.

The Trump administration has argued that the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, issued in 2015, was too prescriptive.

The banking industry lost a key battle in the Supreme Court over the use of “disparate impact,” but legal observers see potential for the tide to turn if Judge Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed.

Courts have validated the legal theory behind punishing lenders for unintentional discrimination, but the Trump administration has shown interest in revising the Obama-era policy.