A CRA To Meet the Challenge of Climate Change
Advancing the Fight Against Environmental Racism
Getty/Thomas B. Shea/AFP
A car gets towed while men walk in floodwaters on a road in Houston, August 2017, in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
Julia Cusick
Introduction and summary
A federal law passed more than 40 years ago to address the discriminatory practice of redlining in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color can and should be modernized to address other systemic racism-fueled inequities. These inequities, including the disproportionate exposure to environmental hazards and climate-related challenges, have been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) was enacted in 1977 to combat redlining—the practice of systematically denying mortgages and other financial services to communities based on their racial makeup—and other forms of racial discrimination in lending. The CRA should be updated to spur lending, investment, and other services that address climate resilience in low-income communities of color, which are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather and climate-related events.