 On
March 3-4, over 50 select community leaders from around the country
traveled to Washington, DC to set up for the upcoming National People’s
Action Conference.
With the conference less than three months away, leaders met with
Congressional members and their staff in both the House and Senate,
met with federal agencies including the Department of Labor, the
Department of Housing and Urban Development,
the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Federal Reserve.
NPA also hosted a press conference in the Capitol building that
revealed that 17 out of the top 25 lenders in the country are not
covered by the Community Reinvestment Act. Outcomes include:
Predatory
Lending
NPA leaders met with Federal Reserve Board Governor Ben Bernanke
to encourage the agency to aggressively go after predatory lenders.
They also met with J. Howard Beales, Director of Consumer Affairs
for the FTC who said the agency is willing to hold regional hearings to identify
predatory lenders. Leaders also met with the staff of Rep. Bob Ney
(R-OH) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). Both Ney and Schakowsky
will introduce anti- predatory lending legislation this session.
Both expressed interest in coming to this year’s NPA
conference.
Community Reinvestment
NPA leaders released the list of the top 25 lenders in the country
at the U.S. Capitol. The report also highlighted that only
three percent of of the top 25 lenders' conventional loans made
in the country went to African Americans. Leaders highlighted
necessary changes to strengthen the Community Reinvestment Act.
Leaders met with Sen. Richard Shelby’s (R-AL) office to discuss
NPA’s four CRA demands, abandoned housing and predatory lending.
Groups also met with Freddie Mac to discuss developing a partnership
to increase affordable lending.
Abandoned Buildings
Leaders met with key Department of Housing and Urban Development
officials including FHA Commissioner John Weicher and Assistant
Secretary Roy Bernardi. NPA leaders shared their concerns
about the abandoned building crisis occurring in its communities
and how Federal funding for housing and community development (CDBG)
is not being
effectively allocated into communities to meet the needs of the
poorest neighborhoods. NPA won tours with HUD officials in
select NPA cities and assistance in creating a HUD rule to increase
funding to communities for housing and community development.
Immigration
NPA leaders met with staff from six Congressional offices about
the proposed Student Adjustment Act (House) and DREAM Act (Senate),
that would allow greater access to higher education for undocumented
immigrants. NPA leaders received valuable information about how
to move the bill and on key legislators to push. Leaders also received
commitments from several Congressional staff to work with NPA to
set up a briefing at the annual conference.
Youth
NPA youth met with staff from five Congressional offices about the
Youth Service Scholarship Act – proposed legislation that
would offer scholarships to youth who commit hours to working with
a local community organization. Youth leaders received commitments
from key legislators to work to re-introduce the bill in the House
and Senate this year. NPA youth received a commitment from legislative
staff to assist them in setting up a Senate briefing on youth and
jobs issues at the NPA conference.
Jobs
In gearing up for NPA, leaders met with Sen. Edward Kennedy
(D-MA), Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH), and Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) to
ask for their support for a NPA sponsored Senate Briefing on local
and national issues facing low-wage workers. In addition, leaders
also met with the Department of Labor to update them on local issues
and to follow up with the NPA and DOL partnership that was
brokered at the last NPA conference. The Jobs Strategy Team
also met with the Labor Reporter from the Associated Press to educate
her on how local work has impacted the Workforce Investment
Act as well as NPA's unique strategies to stopping day labor abuses.
back
to top
|
