FEMA: President Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for American Samoa
FEMA announced that federal emergency aid has been made available to the territory of American Samoa to supplement territorial and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic beginning on Jan. 20, 2020 and continuing. Federal funding is available to territorial and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit…
EDA: $4.5 Million Invested to Convert Former Naval Station Roosevelt Roads to Commercial Use in Puerto Rico
Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $4.5 million grant to the Local Redevelopment Authority for Roosevelt Roads, San Juan, Puerto Rico, to rehabilitate a building and make other infrastructure improvements on former Naval Station Roosevelt Roads. The EDA grant will support early-stage businesses…
CFPB: Final Rule Issued Raising Data Reporting Thresholds Under HMDA
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) issued a final rule raising the loan-volume coverage thresholds for financial institutions reporting data under the Home Mortgage Reporting Act (HMDA). The final rule, amending Regulation C, increases the permanent threshold for collecting and reporting data about closed-end mortgage loans from 25 to 100 loans effective July 1, 2020….
Federal Reserve: “Revitalize or Stabilize”: Does Community Development Financing Work?
Daniel Ringo Abstract: Banks in the United States originate $100 billion in community development loans every year and hold a similar amount of community development investments on their balance sheets. A number of federal place-based policies encourage the provision of these loans and investments to promote growth, employment and the availability of affordable housing to…
EDA: $3 Million Invested to Support Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Efforts in Damariscotta, ME
Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $3 million grant to the town of Damariscotta, Maine, to make flood protection and infrastructure improvements to the downtown waterfront area. The EDA grant, to be matched with more than $1 million in local investment, is expected…
CFPB: FHFA and CFPB Announce Borrower Protection Program
Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced the Borrower Protection Program (the Program), a new joint initiative that enables CFPB and FHFA to share servicing information to protect borrowers during the coronavirus national emergency. Under the program, the CFPB will make complaint information and analytical tools available…
ABA: Report Shows Consumer Delinquencies Rise in Fourth Quarter of 2019
Consumer credit delinquencies rose in the fourth quarter of 2019, driven by increases in auto and home-related delinquencies, according to results from the American Bankers Association’s Consumer Credit Delinquency Bulletin. Overall, delinquencies rose in eight of the 11 categories tracked by ABA while delinquencies in three categories fell. The composite ratio, which tracks delinquencies in…
ABA: Congress Should Exempt Stimulus Payments from Court-Ordered Garnishments
Leading financial services trade associations today wrote Congressional leadership requesting that Congress clarify that the CARES Act economic impact payments (also known as stimulus payments) are treated as benefits subject to the federal exemption from garnishment. “America’s banks stand ready to provide full access to funds appropriated for the explicit purpose of helping families make…
EDA: $1 Million Invested to Support Disaster Recovery and Resiliency Efforts in Barnstable County, MA
Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $1 million grant to Barnstable County, acting through the Cape Cod Commission, Massachusetts, to assess the impact of coastal storms and flooding on the region and to improve local economic planning and response efforts. The EDA grant…
OCC: Paycheck Protection Program Listening Sessions Announced
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today announced that its Office of Innovation will host three listening sessions on April 16, 20, and 21, to discuss issues and potential solutions relating to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) as established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Listening sessions are used to inform…