A non-profit group called Center for Responsible Lending points to structural flaws in the PPP's initial design as a reason for the discrepancy. According to the organization, people of color are likely to have fewer employees and less revenue than white-owned businesses. "As a result, there were less likely to qualify for larger loans that would yield the higher fees that would make them a priority for lenders at the outset of the program," the group notes in a report, updated on May 19. "Based on how the program is structured, we estimate that upwards of 90% of businesses owned by people of color have been, or will likely be, shut out of the Paycheck Protection Program," said Ashley Harrington of the Center for Responsible Lending told CBS News in late April.
