In the 1980s and 1990s banks avoided lending in minority neighborhoods and Blacks and Latinos were denied mortgages at disproportionately higher rates than equally credit-worthy whites. Redlining and mortgage discrimination was the norm. It seemed those days came to an end in the 2000s, when mortgage lenders began lending eagerly to anyone they could, and instead of being accused of avoiding minority borrowers, faced accusations of predatory lending in minority communities. However, now the tide has turned once again. Mortgage lending to blacks and Latinos has plunged by more than 60 percent from five years ago, according to a new study by ComplienceTech using Federal Reserve Data.
Beth Kobliner, Takeaway contributor and appointee to the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability, is here to report on this lending shift, and to explain what’s causing it.