Evaluates a variety of strategies for tackling the shortage of affordable rental housing, particularly as these strategies would impact small "mom and pop" owners of rental housing. Looks at an "average" cash flow statement of a Chicago owner with a 24 unit building to illustrate the impacts.

An analysis comparing the residents of a modest-income urban neighborhood to jobs in and around the neighborhood, utilizing specialized census data showing how many residents work in and around the neighborhood. The study provides evidence supporting the importance to local residents of economic activity in city neighborhoods.

The Community Reinvestment Act has brought solid benefits to a critical part of the Chicago economy -- the multifamily housing market. Good quality rental housing is essential to the well-being of low- and moderate-income families in Chicago, and is a sign of neighborhood stability particularly in neighborhoods where a high percentage of the housing stock is multifamily.

This alert examines two proposed changes to the regulation of the Community Reinvestment Act:  A regulation calling for the collection and disclosure of small business loan application and origination data for banks and savings and loans by census tract. Second, a proposal calling for the use of some objective measures as key indicators of a bank's responsiveness to credit and capital needs. Woodstock Institute found that on both these central changes, the revised proposal is a substantial retreat from earlier progress.

This report documents the asset development programs of five community development credit unions and illustrates the several diverse strategies to empower lower-income people to develop modest assets.  Case studies include Central Appalachian Peoples FCU, Quitman County FCU, Northeast Community FCU, Progressive Neighborhood FCU, and Zion United Credit Union.

Describes the double bottom line of socially responsible investment policies which includes a favorable rate of return and an investment vehicle that meets certain socially responible criteria.  Contains interviews with staff of Shorebank and the Calvert Fund.

Katy Jacob, Malcolm Bush, and Daniel Immergluck

This report examines the reality of credit unions' claim that they honor the mission stated in the Federal Credit Union Act to meet the savings and credit needs of "persons of modest means." The report also discusses why it is so important that credit unions fulfill this statutory responsibility and how they might do so more effectively in the future.

Lending test under the proposed 1994 CRA rules show that some large Chicago area mortgage companies have poor lending records in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.