SPRING 2002

Letter from the Editor

Lofts Seed Downtown Redevelopment

HMDA Changes to Enhance Fair-Lending Analysis

Fed Issues Final Rule Aimed at Curbing Predatory Lending

New Markets Tax Credits

Community Development Conference

Call for Papers

Resources

Community Development: How To Pay for It--Got a great idea for community development but feel overwhelmed by the prospect of finding financing? A new self-study guide from the Community Affairs department of the St. Louis Fed walks readers through the basics of designing a project, developing a budget and a business plan and assembling a financial package. Community Development Financing: Coming up with the Money is available free of charge by calling (314) 444-8646 or by sending an e-mail to linda.a.aubuchon@stls.frb.org.

Federal Reserve Conference Proceedings--The proceedings of a conference presented last spring in Washington, D.C., by the Community Affairs Officers of the Federal Reserve System are available from the St. Louis Fed. This collection of research papers and discussions by economists and scholars provides an in-depth look at trends in community development lending and how these trends affect low- and moderate-income groups. To order a free copy, call (314) 444-8646 or send an e-mail to linda.a.aubuchon@stls.frb.org.

"How to" CD-ROMs for Small Businesses--The Bloomington, Ind., Small Business Development Center has two CD-ROMs available for those interested in learning how to start and fund a small business. ActiveVentures is the start-up disk for small business. ActiveMoney lists more than 400 public and private sources of capital, loan amortization calculators, business planning guides, financial projection spreadsheets, loan applications, financial worksheets and a process checklist. They can be ordered by calling the development center at (812) 339-8937. The cost is $19 each.

Your Privacy: What You Do and Don't Need to Disclose--A new guide to help consumers make informed choices about whether to allow their personal financial information to be shared is now available. Privacy Choices for Your Personal Financial Information, a collaboration of several federal agencies, presents consumers with the choices they face as a result of the privacy provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999. The new information can be found on the Federal Reserve Board's web site at www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/privacy.

Stolen Identities, Stolen Lives--Identity theft is the focus of a 34-page publication on the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) web site. ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name explains what identity theft is, how to minimize the risk of becoming a victim and what to do if you do become a victim. It also includes the FTC's ID Theft Affidavit, a form victims can use to alert companies when an unauthorized account has been opened in their name. The company can then investigate the fraud and decide the outcome of the claim. The publication can be downloaded from the FTC's web site at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

Based on Faith--What role do faith-based organizations play in community development and what does their future hold? A report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Faith-Based Organizations in Community Development, incorporates a review of literature and interviews with activists to find out. The report is available for $5 by calling 1-800-245-2691 or by using HUD's online ordering service at www.huduser.org/publications/pdrpubli.html.

Causes of Defaults on FHA loans--A HUD study evaluates the impact of neighborhood characteristics on Federal Housing Administration defaults. Neighborhood Effects in Mortgage Default Risk distinguishes the effects of neighborhood race, ethnicity and income from the effects of the individual borrower's status. The report can be downloaded or ordered from the HUD User web site at www.huduser.org/publications/hsgfin/defaultrisk.html. It can also be ordered by calling 1-800-245-2691.