Community Affairs

Community affairs programs at the Board and the twelve Federal Reserve Banks promote community development and fair and impartial access to credit. Community affairs offices at the Board and Reserve Banks engage in a wide variety of activities to help financial institutions, community-based organizations, government entities, and the public understand and address financial services issues that affect low- and moderate-income people and geographic regions. Each office responds to local needs in its District and establishes its own programs to:

1. Foster depository institutions’ active engagement in providing credit and other banking services to their entire communities, particularly traditionally underserved markets.
2. Encourage mutually beneficial cooperation among community organi­zations, government agencies, financial institutions, and other com­munity development practitioners.
3. Develop greater public awareness of the benefits and risks of financial products and of the rights and responsibilities that derive from com­munity investment and fair lending regulations.
4. Promote among policy makers, community leaders, and private-sector decision makers a better understanding of the practices, processes, and resources that result in successful community development programs.

Each Federal Reserve Bank develops specific products and services to meet the informational needs of its region. The community affairs offices issue a wide array of publications, sponsor a variety of public forums, and provide technical information on community and economic development and on fair and equal access to credit and other banking services.

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