Indepth analysis of persistant problems in the field of community development. Woodstock's research reports contribute to the body of knowledge used by policymakers and community development practitioners.
This Alert is a call to action for community organizations and others
concerned about the impact of electronic funds transfer (EFT) on
low-income households. It provides a summary of regulations proposed by
the Treasury Department and recommendations on how they can be
improved. An analysis of electronic benefits transfer (EBT) in Illinois
demonstrates why currency exchanges should be prohibited from serving
as EFT access points.
This study finds that minorities and lower-income people who use these
"fringe banks" pay higher prices for basic financial services. In
addition to demonstrating the high costs charged by CEs, this Alert
makes recommendations aimed at encouraging greater use of banks by
these CE users, at reducing excessive fees charged by CEs, and at
increasing consumer awareness of the relative costs of financial
services.
This report analyzes data on 504 lending for the
entire nation and for the Chicago metropolitan area to discern whether
this SBA program is serving sound economic development purposes.
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.
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.
