We’ve compiled a few resources from across the country that help explain what each of the proposed rules mean and how it could impact communities.
Please see below for deadlines and templates to support drafting your own comments.
National Environmental Protection Act – March 10
Changes to the NEPA policy would create loopholes that streamline the review process, which could have devastating impacts on people’s health and the environment. It also limits community engagement and public input in the NEPA process. Comments on the proposed NEPA rule (Docket CEQ-2019-0003) to the Council on Environmental Quality are due March 10 at 11:59 pm EST and can be shared here.
NEPA Resources
- One resolution we must fight against (Stephanie Gidigbi, Natural Resources Defense Council)
- Webinar and Primer: Protecting NEPA (We Act for Environmental Justice)
- Overview of NEPA Proposed Rule Changes and Resource (Sharon Buccino, Natural Resources Defense Council)
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) – March 16
The changes also threaten to undo years of work to limit racial discrimination in accessing fair and affordable housing. Comments to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development on the proposed AFFH rule (Docket No. FR 6123-P-02) are due March 16 at 11:59 pm EST and can be submitted here.
AFFH Resources
- Understanding AFFH, what is it and how does it work? (Alliance for Housing Justice)
- Enterprise Opposes HUD’s Proposed AFFH Rule that would weaken the implementation of the Fair Housing Act (Sarah Brundage, Enterprise)
- Factsheet and detailed summary of AFFH (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
- Webinar on AFFH Proposed Rule Change (Building Healthy Places Network)
AFFH Templates
SPARCC has developed a draft template that you can use to submit your own comments. Please add context from your own region and organizations. See here. The Alliance for Housing Justice has also developed a template that you can use here.
Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) – April 8
The proposed changes will hurt communities by diluting the very programs and entities that have proven to have the most impact in addressing inequities in lending and investment in moderate- to low-income neighborhoods. You can express your thoughts to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) (Docket ID OCC-2018-0008) here. Comments are due by April 8 at 11:59pm EST.
CRA Resources
- Recent Research Highlights Critical Points for Policymakers to Consider in CRA Modernization (Olivia Barrow, Low Income Investment Fund)
- CEOs of Four National CDFI Loan Funds on CRA Rulemaking (Low Income Investment Fund)
- Redlining would be relegalized by CRA Reform Proposal (Frank Woodruff, Shelterforce)
- Detailed Analysis of CRA Proposed Rule and Summary Fact Sheet (National Community Reinvestment Coalition)
- Pre- and Post-Disaster Investments in Housing and Community Development Under the CRA (Laurie Schoeman, Enterprise Community Partners)
CRA Letter Templates
SPARCC has developed a draft template that you can use to submit your own comments. Please add context from your own region and organizations. See here.