NY Attorney General Announces Agreement To End Bank's Alleged Mortgage Redlining

Mortgage Origination Enforcement Redlining

On January 19, the New York Attorney General (AG) announced an agreement with a New York-based community bank that the AG alleged had excluded predominantly minority neighborhoods from its mortgage lending business. As part of the agreement, the bank will (i) open two branches in neighborhoods with a minority population of at least 30 percent, with the first located within two miles of a majority-minority neighborhood and the second located within one mile of a majority-minority neighborhood; (ii) create a special financing program to provide $500,000 in discounts or subsidies on loans to residents of majority-minority neighborhoods; and (iii) create a marketing program directed at minority communities. Additionally, the bank agreed to submit to reporting and monitoring by the AG for a three-year period and pay $150,000 in costs to the State of New York.