The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently issued a press release announcing a 2023 update to its Equity Action Plan. The Equity Action Plan is part of HUD’s efforts to implement President Biden’s Executive Order on “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.”… Continue Reading

On May 21, 2021, the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) announced that it had reached a settlement with California-based Cascade Village Apartments II, LP (“Cascade Village”), its management company, FPI Management, Inc. (“FPI”), and FPI’s portfolio manager to resolve allegations that the companies violated the Fair Housing Act and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on the basis of limited English proficiency (“LEP”) and national origin. … Continue Reading

As discussed in our June 12th and August 7th posts, The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (“DCA”) issued new debt collection rules related to limited English proficiency servicing, which took effect June 27, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the DCA provided the industry with a 60-day enforcement grace period until August 26, 2020.… Continue Reading

On July 29, 2020, the CFPB hosted a roundtable discussion, attended by Director Kathy Kraninger and moderated by the Bureau’s Principal Deputy Director of Fair Lending, Frank Vespa-Papaleo, to hear feedback from consumer advocates and industry representatives on how the Bureau can facilitate greater access to financial products and services for consumers with limited English proficiency (LEP). … Continue Reading

A group of eight trade associations has sent a letter to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) asking the FHFA to extend by at least 45 days the comment period on the FHFA’s Request for Input (RFI) on improving language access in mortgage lending and servicing.  Issued this past May, the RFI asks for input to be provided by no later than July 10, 2017.… Continue Reading

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of teaching a class on payments and banking products to new lawyers at the American Bar Association’s Consumer Financial Services Institute.  I arrived early for the class and got to hear a lunch address on fair lending by Patrice Ficklin, Director of the CFPB’s Office of Fair Lending. … Continue Reading