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Report
Does the Community Reinvestment Act Improve Consumers’ Access to Credit
We study the impact of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) on access to consumer credit since 1999 using an individual-level panel and three distinct identification strategies: a regression discontinuity design centered on a CRA-eligibility cutoff; a comparison of neighboring census blocks; and an event study of changes in eligibility. All three rule out a significant effect of the CRA on consumer borrowing. We show that this is in part explained by a shift in mortgages from nonbanks, which are free from CRA obligations, to banks in need of CRA-eligible mortgages. Our findings underscore the ...
Discussion Paper
Does the CRA Increase Household Access to Credit?
Congress passed the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) in 1977 to encourage banks to meet the needs of borrowers in the areas in which they operate. In particular, the Act is focused on credit access to low- and moderate-income communities that had historically been subject to discriminatory practices like redlining.