April 2000 —

Since its passage in 1977, the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) has helped change the ways that depository institutions approach lending in these communities. This paper examines the effects of the CRA, particularly in urban areas, the continued disparities in the availability of financial services to lower income and minority communities, and how recent changes in the financial industry pose new challenges for community reinvestment efforts in the future. This literature review includes detailed abstracts of some of the key literature on CRA.