Conference on the Community Reinvestment Act, February 6th, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

Gloria and I are registered for this and plan to attend. Will any of you be joining us? As of Wednesday, the 4th, we understand that the registration process is closed.

We received this from our friends in Cincinnati last week:

February 6, 2009 Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

The Community Reinvestment Act has come under increasing scrutiny as a result of the nation's subprime lending and foreclosure crises. What role, if any, did the landmark legislation play in the demise of the nation's financial services industry? How should policymakers modify the CRA to ensure it meets the credit needs of low- and moderate-income individuals going forward?

This one-day conference includes presentations and discussions on the CRA that are aimed at facilitating an exchange of research-informed perspectives on the role of the Community Reinvestment Act in delivering financial services to individuals in low- and moderate-income communities. The conference is part of the Cleveland Fed's ongoing efforts to facilitate and help inform high-level discussions on proposed regulatory reform—in this instance, the regulation of financial services available to low- and moderate-income individuals.

Agenda

February 6, 2009
8:00 am		Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00–9:10 am		Opening Remarks Ruth Clevenger, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
		Session I. Financial Services Available to Low- and Moderate-Income Communities
9:10–9:50 am		Financial Services, Saving, and Borrowing Among Low- and Moderate-Income Households Michael Barr, University of Michigan Law School
9:50–10:30 am		Discrimination in the Mortgage Market Stephen Ross, University of Connecticut Economics Department
10:30–10:40 am		Break
		Session II. Mortgage Lending in Low- and Moderate-Income Communities
10:40–11:20 am		CRA and Mortgage Lending in LMI Neighborhoods Neil Bhutta, Board of Governors
11:20 am–12:00 pm		CRA Lending in the Fourth District Lisa Nelson, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
12:00–1:20 pm		Lunch Speaker: Mark Willis, Ford Foundation
		Session III. CRA and Financial Institutions
1:20–2:00 pm		Impact of CRA on Household and Financial Institution Incentives Robert Avery, Board of Governors
2:00–2:40 pm		Impact of CRA Agreements on Community Banks Breck Robinson, University of Delaware
2:40–2:50 pm		Break
		Session IV. Perspectives on the Community Reinvestment Act
2:50–3:30 pm		The Role of the CRA in the Subprime Crisis Glenn Canner, Board of Governors
3:30–4:10 pm		Viability of CRA and Potential Alternatives Peter Wallison, American Enterprise Institute
		Session V. Open Discussion
4:10–5:00 pm		All speakers Mark Sniderman, moderator