Press Releases

California-based Oportun has filed the most debt collection cases in the state and sues to intimidate its mostly Latino customer base WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new report released today by the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) offers new evidence that Oportun, the California-based financial services provider that also operates in eight other states, regularly engages in egregious, abusive, and intimidating...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House voted overwhelmingly to extend the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) through June 30, 2021. Center for Responsible Lending Director of Advocacy Ashley Harrington issued the following statement: We applaud the House for extending the Paycheck Protection Program, which is a lifeline for small businesses, including many Black and Latino-owned businesses that are vital to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate, in a bipartisan vote, confirmed Isabel Guzman to head the Small Business Administration (SBA). Ms. Guzman previously led California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate and served as SBA deputy chief of staff during the Obama Administration. Center for Responsible Lending Director of Latino Affairs Aracely Panameño issued the following statement: At this...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) Executive Vice President Nikitra Bailey testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for a hearing entitled ‘Home = Life: The State of Housing in America.’ Linked here are Ms. Bailey’s oral testimony, written testimony, and video of the entire hearing. CRL live-tweeted the hearing. CRL EVP...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act into law on Thursday. In response, Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) President Mike Calhoun made the following statement: We applaud President Biden for passing this historic legislation that will be paramount to benefitting millions of Americans, including Black, Latino, and low-income families, as well as Black...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) Federal Advocacy Director and Senior Counsel Ashley Harrington testified at a virtual hearing held by the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions entitled “Slipping through the Cracks: Policy Options to Help America’s Consumers during the Pandemic.” In her testimony, Harrington discussed the need for actionable policy solutions...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Nikitra Bailey, an Executive Vice President at the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), testified at a virtual hearing held by the House Financial Services entitled “Justice for All: Achieving Racial Equity Through Fair Access to Housing and Financial Services: Testimony before the House Financial Services Committee.” In her testimony, Bailey highlighted our nation’s discriminatory housing policies...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate, in a bipartisan vote, confirmed Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) had joined a broad coalition in support of her confirmation. Center for Responsible Lending Executive Vice President Nikitra Bailey, issued the following statement: Secretary Fudge...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, Dr. Miguel Cardona was confirmed as the Secretary of Education by the U.S. Senate. Federal Advocacy Director for the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) Ashley Harrington made the following statement: Secretary Cardona’s confirmation bodes well for student borrowers, millions of whom are bearing unmanageable student debt as a result of federal policy choices and failures...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate passed President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus plan. Due to substantive changes in the bill, the measure must return to the House floor for a vote before it can reach the President’s desk. Under the legislation, stimulus checks would phase out entirely for individuals earning more than $80,000, federal unemployment benefits were kept at...