Answer:Congress enacted the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) in 1977 to encourage banks and thrift institutions to “serve the convenience and needs of the communities in which they are chartered to do business,” including low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities, and to do so in a manner “consistent with the safe and sound operation of such institutions.” The CRA requires each federal bank regulator, including the Federal Reserve, to evaluate the extent to which banks address the credit needs of LMI neighborhoods in their geographic markets. While research generally indicates the CRA has increased lending to LMI communities, the Act has been a source of debate since its passage.
