New Book: Credit to the Community: Community Reinvestment and Fair Lending Policy in the U.S.

Posted by on July 30, 2004

I thought you might be interested in my new book, Credit to the Community: Community Reinvestment and Fair Lending Policy in the U.S., which has just been published by M.E. Sharpe.

The publisher has just informed me that, due to delays in getting the paperback out, it is offering the hardback at $39.95, 50% off the regular price and only $5 more than the anticipated price of the paperback. The paperback may not be out for awhile.

The book is a sort of policy history of fair lending laws and CRA. It discusses the history of discrimination and redlining in mortgage and small business markets, including current problems and trends. The book places fair lending and CRA policies in the historical context of U.S. policy regarding financial markets and the support of financial institutions. It also looks at the politics of policy analysis in this area, detailing some of the ideology and interests that have shaped policy-making, particularly in the last 30 years.

To get the ? price offer, you must order in one of the following two ways:

1. call the 800 # (800-541-6563) and talk to anyone in customer service – tell them you want to order your book and get the special price of $39.95. The code word is “Immer”

2. send an email to [email protected] to order the book (someone from customer service will get back to them) – to get the special price, the same code word (Immer) should be mentioned in the email

(Feel free to forward this offer to others who might be interested.)

Some early comments on the book include:

“Once again Dan Immergluck works his special magic by combining impeccable research with thoughtful public policy commentary. For those seeking to expand access to capital in low-income and low-wealth communities, this is a must read.”
-William Apgar – former Assistant Secretary of Housing at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and now Senior Scholar at Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies

“Credit to the Community provides an incisive look at a remarkable chapter in the ongoing struggle to eliminate inequities in the availability of consumer credit. Dan Immergluck has done a splendid job of chronicling a transformative grassroots movement while also providing a much-needed conceptual framework for comprehending both its significance and future direction. There is much here for both veterans and novices on all sides of this struggle, as well as for the general public.”
-Allen Fishbein, Consumer Federation of America

“Immergluck is a most talented researcher and advocate. Credit to the Community is a rare book that combines rigorous research with astute policy recommendations.”
-Greg Squires, George Washington University

Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Visible Hand of Government in U.S. Credit Markets
3. Discrimination, Redlining, and Financial Restructuring in Business Credit Markets
4. A Brief History of Mortgage-Lending Discrimination and Redlining
5. From Fair Access to Credit to Access to Fair Credit
6. Mobilizing for Credit: Community Activism, Policy Adoption, and Implementation through 1987
7. Community Reinvestment from 1988 to the End of the Twentieth Century: Struggles for Bank and Regulator Accountability
8. The Predatory Lending Policy Debate
9. CRA and Fair Lending Policy in the Twenty-first Century

315 pp.