Protecting the Community Reinvestment Act
Federal regulators released a proposal to revise the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). It would narrow bank accountability and weaken the community development infrastructure that helps bank dollars reach low- and moderate-income people and places. We rallied our members to respond during the 60-day comment, which ended on October 13, 2026.
View our responses to the proposed rule-making:
- Our comment letter
- CRA principles letter signed by our members
View the resources that we provided to prepare community developers to respond:
- Initial CRA analysis
- CRA toolkit for associations to write comment letters
- CRA toolkit for community developers to write comment letters
Dawne Troupe of COA (left) and Dafina Williams of Opportunity Finance Network (right) lead a CRA Advocacy Workshop at COA’s National Summit.
What Happens Next?
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation will now review the comments and work toward a final rule, which we expect to see in the coming months. One thing COA is watching for is whether the Federal Reserve joins the final rule. Whether we end up with one rule supported by all three regulators, or different rules for different banks, is a significant question remaining in this process.
Thank you to everyone who contributed, signed our letter, or submitted comments of your own. We will keep the community development field updated on the CRA rulemaking and opportunities to take action to protect this vital tool.