Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) released an analysis that connects the dots between student loan default and delinquency rates among Black and Latino business owners and barriers to accessing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans intended to keep small businesses alive during the pandemic. Over 800,000 self-employed people were behind on their student debt before the pandemic and may be ineligible or have the perception that they are ineligible for the relief they need to survive in a faltering economy. Because of structural inequities including racial

Housing and Civil Rights Groups Call for Homeowner Assistance Fund to Avoid New Wave of Foreclosures and Devastating Effects for Communities of Color WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, leading housing and civil rights groups applauded Senator Jack Reed’s reintroduction of the Homeowner Assistance Fund bill as Congress and the Biden administration consider the next COVID-19 relief package. Senators Sherrod Brown and Patrick Leahy are lead cosponsors of the bill. The Homeowner Assistance Fund would provide a critical safety net for millions of families who are behind on their mortgages or already in

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the budget resolution for President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief proposal. This vote comes after Senate Democrats passed the resolution with a simple majority of 51 votes, part of a procedural tool known as reconciliation. Congress will now write a final bill that can be passed by a simple majority in both chambers. Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) Federal Advocacy Director and Senior Counsel Ashley Harrington released the following statement: The budget resolution approved today is a good first step towards

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) filed a brief in the Supreme Court in support of Thelma McCoy's petition to have the court take up undue hardship discharge for student debt in bankruptcy. Currently and for some time, different courts of appeal have split in how they interpret what is "undue hardship," with some courts taking a holistic "totality of the circumstances" approach and others following a rigid, demanding test known as the Brunner test. A number of courts representing some of the Blackest areas in the country such as the Fifth Circuit, have

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Janet Yellen was sworn in as the Secretary of the Treasury after her confirmation yesterday by an 84 to 15 vote of the U.S. Senate. President of the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) Mike Calhoun made the following statement: Treasury Secretary Yellen’s swift, bipartisan confirmation as the first woman to hold this role is a historic occasion. Her vision and experience are sorely needed in steering us toward a more equitable recovery. Her decades of leadership make her the right person to lead at this moment. Secretary Yellen’s stewardship of the economy will help

WASHINGTON DC - This afternoon, President Joe Biden outlined an agenda and signed executive actions to move forward on several important fronts toward racial equity, including a measure directing the Department of Housing and Urban Development to reassess a Trump Administration rule that hindered a plaintiff’s ability to prove housing discrimination. This Presidential Memorandum acknowledges the role the federal government has played in creating and perpetuating discriminatory housing policy. Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) Executive Vice President Nikitra Bailey said, “President Biden

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. Vice-President Kamala Harris was sworn in as the first woman and the first Black and first South Asian American to ever hold the office. President of the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) Mike Calhoun made the following statement: Congratulations to President Biden and Vice President Harris who took the sacred oath to lead our nation. Today, our leaders promised the American people a message of hope and unity, offering the opportunity to move closer toward the promises of America for all. Today, the

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This evening, numerous media outlets have reported that President-elect Joe Biden will nominate Federal Trade Commission member Rohit Chopra to serve as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). In response to this development, Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) Federal Advocacy Director and Senior Counsel Ashley Harrington issued the following statement: Commissioner Chopra has long fought for financial markets that are fair for consumers, including student loan borrowers. We are encouraged that the CFPB will now return to its mission of protecting

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President-elect Joe Biden last night unveiled an outline of his proposed legislative package for relief from the COVID-19 public health and economic crisis. In response, Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) Federal Advocacy Director and Senior Counsel Ashley Harrington made the following statement: President-elect Biden’s plan offers badly needed hope for a country in crisis. The policy proposals would help rescue the finances of many small businesses, renters, and homeowners – disproportionately in Black and brown communities – who are in dire straits. While this plan is

Washington, D.C. — Today, more than 325 organizations sent an updated letter to President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris, calling on them to use executive authority to cancel federal student debt on day one of their administration. In the letter, more than 325 nonprofit and community organizations highlight that cancelling student debt would stimulate the economy, help reduce racial wealth gaps, and could have a positive impact on health outcomes. The groups write that “executive action is one of the few available tools that could immediately provide a boost to upwards of 44