The current issue of 5th District Footprint looks at 2011 poverty rates in the Fifth District. South Carolina and District of Columbia are ranked among the ten states with the highest poverty rates in the US. The poverty rate is above the national average in North Carolina and West Virginia, and below the national average in Maryland and Virginia.

The latest issue of Marketwise Community discusses the innovative programs and services that libraries provide to serve community needs.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond is producing a new online publication called 5E Navigator to help people make informed decisions about their personal finances. The first issue features credit reports.

The current issue of 5th District Footprint looks at the financing activities of CDFIs in the Fifth District in 2010. Fifth District counties received nearly $1 billion in financing, targeted toward various activities, including housing rehabilitation and capital for businesses.

The current issue of 5th District Footprint looks at census tracts designated by federal regulators as distressed and underserved in 2012. In North and South Carolina, the designated tracts are spread statewide, whereas in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia they are located in remote and rural areas.

In a November podcast, Jen Giovannitti at the Richmond Fed interviewed Elizabeth Weigensberg, senior researcher at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago.

Three Community Development Banks in the Fifth District – City First Bank of DC, Virginia Community Capital, and Security Federal Bank (SC) received the Financial and Technical Assistance Award from the CDFI Fund.

The current issue of 5th District Footprint looks at what percentage of personal income came from government benefits in 2010. The major components of government benefits are Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid.

Many cities have experienced the contraction of a once dominant industry. Kim Zeuli, vice president and community development officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, examines how Concord and Eden, two North Carolina textile cities, adapted to changing conditions in response to the decline in the textile industry.

The latest issue of Marketwise Community discusses the challenges of meeting the housing needs of people with disabilities and highlights promising approaches in Virginia.

The latest issue of Marketwise Community discusses Community Land Trusts as an innovative approach to affordable homeownership.

The current issue of 5th District Footprint shows that household income decreased in over half the counties in the Fifth District between 1980 and 2010.

Get more information on enforcement actions initiated by the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency against a group of mortgage servicers because of deficiencies in the servicers’ foreclosure processes by visiting https://independentforeclosurereview.com.

The latest Community Development Bank Peer Group Analysis provides a summary of statistics on a peer group of Community Development Banks for 2005-2010.

The current issue of 5th District Footprint looks at income inequality within the Fifth District counties. The counties with the lowest income inequality are in Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia. Income inequality tends to be higher in urban areas and isolated rural locations.

Latest issue of Marketwise Community explores the evolution of housing counseling agencies to meet the changing needs of their clients in today's economic climate.

The CDFI Resource Center provides information on community development financial institutions (CDFIs), including a directory of CDFIs located in the U.S. Southeast.

This issue of Community Scope explores the on-the-ground experiences of Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funding recipients. The cases highlighted serve as an interesting illustration of how national community development policies are implemented at the local level.

Nonprofit leaders are invited to attend an interactive workshop featuring Dr. Roop Mahajan, Director of Virginia Tech's Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS) and Alan Hutson of The Monument Group.

The November issue of 5th District Footprint shows the innovation performance of Fifth District localities. Innovation performance tends to be high in urban areas, locations close to universities and places with low unemployment.

Where are the bricks-and-mortar banks in the Fifth District? The latest 5th District Footprint suggests that bank branches tend to be concentrated in heavily populated areas.

The Map Resource Center now includes new maps showing changes in demographic and housing characteristics between the 2000 and 2010 Census.

The current issue of 5th District Footprint looks at HAMP activity by Metropolitan Statistical Area, as of May 2011, and illustrates evidence of regional disparity. HAMP is the centerpiece of the Making Home Affordable (MHA) initiative of the U.S. Departments of the Treasury and Housing and Urban Development.

This call will provide participants with an opportunity to learn about how microfinance can serve as a catalyst to increasing economic opportunity in low-to-moderate income communities in the U.S.

The Community Data Resource Center has been updated with 2009 data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The data reflect demographic, social, housing, and economic characteristics at the county and state levels for the District's five states and Washington, D.C. Data can be downloaded as PDF or Microsoft Excel files.

This issue of Community Scope assesses the strategies that recipients of the first round of Neighborhood Stabilization Program funding (NSP1) used to combat the rising numbers of foreclosures in their communities.

The Community Development Bank Resource Center provides information about the structure and function of community development banks, including financial data on a peer group of community development banks tracked over time. The data on the site will be updated annually.

Community development professionals are invited to attend the events

The current issue of 5th District Footprint looks at the presence of broadband infrastructure across the District and the connection between broadband access and community development.

This special issue focuses on the unique partnership opportunity between banks and CDFIs to provide innovative financing, offer additional products and foster development of future business. To help financial institutions better understand CDFIs, this issue centers on how this unique partnership can be leveraged for investment opportunities.

The latest issue of the Richmond Fed's online publication, MarketWise Community, looks at financing challenges faced by small businesses during the "credit crunch" and alternative credit products provided by non-traditional lenders that are paving the way for business growth.

5th District Footprint provides a spatial analysis of various issues affecting communities in the region.

The Federal Reserve System has opened registration for the seventh annual Federal Reserve Community Affairs Research Conference, The Changing Landscape of Community Development, to be held April 28-29, 2011 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia.

A national list of foreclosure prevention workshops for homeowners at risk of foreclosure is now available from Freddie Mac.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond announced the winning videos in its Share the Wealth: A Financial Literacy Video Contest at the Byrd Theater in Richmond, Virginia on December 13.

This series of reports provides state-level analyses of housing markets, and the composition and performance of mortgage markets in the Fifth District.

The Community Data Resource Center is a data repository designed to streamline local community development data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey for each of the Fifth District states and Washington, D.C.

Living Cities, a collaborative of 22 of the world's largest foundations and financial institutions announced that Baltimore is one of five cities chosen as a winner for their new national Integration Initiative.

The Federal Reserve System reported on community-based foreclosure prevention and neighborhood stabilization activites.

This series of reports provides state-level analyses of housing markets, and the composition and performance of mortgage markets in the Fifth District.

A new federal law provides many consumer credit protections, including rules directly affecting college students. Check out these videos to learn more about the new rule changes.

Be a part of our Share the Wealth Video contest by submitting a 30-second video on a financial education topic.

The Community Affairs Officers of the Federal Reserve System invite paper submissions for the seventh Federal Reserve Community Affairs Research Conference, to be held April 28-29, 2011 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia.

The Federal Reserve Banks of Atlanta, Cleveland and Richmond, in partnership with the Appalachia Regional Commission, invite you to participate in a series of webinars about Financing Opportunities in Rural Communities.

The Community Affairs Officers of the Federal Reserve System invite paper submissions for the seventh Federal Reserve Community Affairs Research Conference.

The Federal Reserve Board approved a final rule to protect credit card users from unreasonable late payment and other penalty fees and to require credit card issuers to reconsider interest rate increases imposed since the beginning of last year.

The Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) Southeast Regional Meeting will take place Monday, July 19 and Tuesday, July 20, 2010 in Richmond, Virginia at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

The Community College Workforce Alliance and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond are hosting, From Recession to Recovery: A Forum on Employment Trends and Workforce Development Strategies in Virginia, a forum that will gather workforce development professionals, economists, and policymakers together with the goal of learning about best practices and successful initiatives in the workforce development field. The forum will focus on job advancement initiatives and employment trends at the state and national level.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond is bringing together NSP 1 and NSP 2 recipients for an interactive Webinar.

The Community Affairs Office of the Richmond Fed launches its on-line publication, MARKETWISE COMMUNITY. The publication will spotlight innovative initiatives and success models in community development throughout the Fifth District.

The Federal Reserve Board announces that it will hold four public hearings, beginning in July, on potential revisions to Regulation C, which implements the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act.

Governor Duke stresses the importance of financial education at the Jump$tart Coalition Investing in Our Future: Financial Education and Washington event

Governor Daniel K. Tarullo discusses the future of community banks at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Community Bankers’ Conference

Governor Duke Addresses the Western Independent Bankers Conference on commercial real estate, credit availability for small business and the role of banks in encouraging the flow of credit to communities.

Sandra F. Braunstein, Director, Division of Consumer and Community Affairs, addresses credit scoring and the role of the Federal Reserve Board in ensuring that lenders use credit scoring systems appropriately to evaluate consumers' credit risk.

Consumer credit card agreements will now be available online from more than 300 credit card issuers in a searchable database created by the Federal Reserve Board.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and Civil Justice Inc., a Maryland nonprofit public interest law firm, will sponsor pro bono attorney training as part of the Maryland Mortgage Fraud Prevention Project.

Governor Duke addresses the importance of small business lending to the vitality of the economy before the Committee on Financial Services and Committee on Small Business of the US House of Reps.

A new online Federal Reserve Board publication will help consumers better understand rules that provide additional protection when a debit card or automated teller machine (ATM) transaction causes an account to be overdrawn.

The Federal Reserve Board has launched a new interactive website to help consumers better understand the new credit card protections that will take effect on February 22.

This series of reports provides state-level analyses of housing markets, and the composition and performance of mortgage markets in the Fifth District.

Chairman Bernanke addresses monetary policy and the housing bubble at the American Economic Association's annual meeting.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond hosts Maryland Renters and Foreclosure Conference on December 17 to help make renters aware of their rights. The Bank and its partners also offer training opportunities for attorneys and housing counselors to educate them on the new federal law and to provide renters with sound counseling and legal advice.

Governor Duke discusses the past, present and future of housing finance. She also addresses the need for responsible practices including transparency, consumer protection and access to credit.

The Federal Reserve wants consumers to use their credit cards wisely as they shop for the holidays, and is sponsoring 45-second advertisements in movie theaters with tips to help shoppers avoid unnecessary charges and fees.

The federal bank and thrift regulatory agencies today issued a final rule providing that mortgage loans modified under the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Home Affordable Mortgage Program (HAMP) will generally retain the risk weight appropriate to the mortgage loan prior to modification.

This series of reports provides state-level analyses of housing markets, and the composition and performance of mortgage markets in the Fifth District.

The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday announced the availability of a collection of brief articles that examine ways to improve the availability of housing options for low-income renters.

Ellen Janes, regional manager for community development in Baltimore for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, has been named the winner of the 2009 Frances Morton Froelicher Civic Statesman Award, given by the Citizens Planning and Housing Association.

The Federal Reserve releases new information on the "Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009."

This forum series, sponsored jointly by the Federal Reserve Banks of Atlanta, Cleveland, and Richmond, will bring information about untapped community investment opportunities to community and regional banks in the Central Appalachian region states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

The Federal Reserve Board on Wednesday warned consumers about fraudulent solicitations that appear to be made with the approval or involvement of the Federal Reserve, Federal Reserve officials, or other U.S. government officials.

Homeowners in all regions of the United States are seeing their home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) frozen or reduced and wondering what they can do about it.

Buying a home should be a dream come true not a nightmare of worry and stress. A new Federal Reserve Board publication, "5 Tips for Shopping for a Mortgage," will help consumers avoid potential pitfalls and make well-informed decisions when choosing a home loan.

In April 2009, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond joined HOPE NOW and NeighborWorks America in sponsoring the HOPE NOW Home Preservation event in Charlotte. Over 600 homeowners at risk of foreclosure met individually with their mortgage servicers to discuss feasible options to avoid foreclosure. This video highlights the mission of the event as well as the partners who helped bring the servicers and homeowners together.

The Community Affairs Office is verifying addresses and requesting additional information for our database. We appreciate your interest in our publications and programs.

Governor Elizabeth A. Duke's testimony before the Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology, Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.

Governor Elizabeth A. Duke's speech at the Minority Depository Institutions National Conference 2009 Conference, Chicago, Illinois

Eric Stein, former member of the Community Development Advisory Council, has been chosen by President Obama to create the Consumer Financial Protection Agency. In his new role as deputy assistant treasury secretary for consumer protection, Stein will run the U.S. Treasury office that is designing the new agency and will support the agency initiative through Congress as it is debated.

The federal bank and thrift regulatory agencies invited public comment on an interim final rule that provides that mortgage loans modified under the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Making Home Affordable Program (MHAP) will retain the risk weight applicable before modification.

The federal bank and thrift regulatory agencies today proposed revisions to regulations implementing the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) to require the agencies to consider low-cost education loans provided to low-income borrowers when assessing a financial institution's record of meeting community credit needs.

Chairman Ben Bernanke discusses the opportunities and challenges facing CDFIs under current market conditions as well as their role in building a sustainable recovery.

The federal bank and thrift regulatory agencies today announced the availability of the 2009 list of distressed or underserved nonmetropolitan middle-income geographies in which revitalization or stabilization activities will receive Community Reinvestment Act consideration as "community development."

The Community Affairs Office of the Richmond Fed wants to improve our community economic development publication. How can we make MARKETWISE more useful in your work?

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond joined HOPE NOW and NeighborWorks America in sponsoring an event for Carolina borrowers facing foreclosure.

The Community Affairs Office of the Richmond Fed wants to improve its Web presence. Knowing more about you will help us serve your information needs.

The Community Affairs Offices of the Federal Reserve System have released "Lessons from a Storm," a video chronicling the stories of families who in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, learned about the benefits of maintaining a bank account.

The Federal Reserve System has created a 30-second advertisement which will direct consumers to free resources on avoiding foreclosure scams.

Guidelines for the program were announced today by the Treasury Department.

Governor Elizabeth A. Duke's speech at the Revisiting the CRA Policy Discussion, Washington, D.C.

Governor Elizabeth A. Duke's speech at the Global Association of Risk Professionals' Risk Management Convention, New York, New York

The federal financial institution regulatory agencies today announced the publication of new and revised Interagency Questions and Answers Regarding Community Reinvestment that, among other things, encourage financial institutions to take steps to help prevent home mortgage foreclosures.