CRC Chief of Legal and Strategy Kevin Stein, far right, speaks at the 2022 NCRC Just Economy Conference.

This week, the California Reinvestment Coalition, along with about 1,000 National Community Reinvestment Coalition members, staff and allies, attended the 2022 Just Economy Conference in Washington, D.C. After two years of virtual strategizing and mobilizing, NCRC members got to network and exchange ideas in person at the two-day event.

The conference featured essential elements of advocacy and organizing, from informative and galvanizing breakout sessions on everything from access to capital, fair housing and lending, cryptocurrency and environmental justice to intentional time blocks dedicated to networking and reflection.

CRC staff and members alongside representatives from U.S. Bank were recognized for the $100 billion Community Benefits Agreement negotiated during U.S. Bank’s merger with UnionBank. NCRC founder John Taylor was awarded and uplifted for his years of service upon his retirement on Monday night surrounded by NCRC board members and staff.

A wide range of panelists and keynote speakers shepherded the conference including CRC Chief of Legal and Strategy Kevin Stein, who moderated a session titled, “State CRA: Past, present and future,” where he spoke with the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance Symone Crawford, Senior Vice President of Policy and Communication of the Woodstock Institute Brend Adams and the Executive Director Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development (ANHD) Barika Williams. The panel shed light on California’s attempt to organize and implement the first Community Reinvestment Act for the West Coast.

Calls for members to submit comment letters to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors (FDIC) and the Office of the Controller of the Currency (OCC) regarding the recent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) under the Federal Community Reinvestment Act were made throughout the conference.