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City Limits: Will New York Launch a Public Bank?
City Limits — Now is the time to create a public banking system as the city prepares for deep budget cuts amid an inequitable economic crisis stemming from the Coronavirus pandemic, advocates testified Wednesday.
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(Archive) Tell the NYC Council to Fund Community Land Trusts!
As the Mayor and City Council finalize next year’s City budget, we are fighting to make sure Community Land Trusts (CLTs) are included! Join us in calling for renewed funding of the citywide CLT initiative, to support community control over land and housing. In the wake of COVID-19, community control of land is more critical than…
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From Immediate Relief to Transformative Change: Stopping Predatory Debt Collection During the Pandemic and Beyond
Systematic wealth extraction from communities of color hasn’t stopped for the public health crisis caused by COVID-19—and it won’t stop unless we transform our economy.
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ProPublica: Capital One and Other Debt Collectors Are Still Coming for Millions of Americans
ProPublica — Since 2018, Capital One has been a looming presence in Julio Lugo’s life, ever since the company sued him, as it did 29,000 other New Yorkers that year, over an unpaid credit card. But when the coronavirus hit the city this March, it wasn’t on his mind.
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The City: How Old Subway Fines Blocked New Yorkers’ State Tax Refunds
The City — Marc Davis was set to get $168 back from the state in his tax refund this year. And the 53-year-old Bronx resident says that money would have gone a long way to keeping him on his feet.
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1,000+ New Yorkers Gather for Urgent Town Hall Calling for Public Banking to Ensure a Just COVID-19 Recovery
New York, NY – Yesterday, a broad coalition of community, labor, cooperative, environmental and economic justice groups convened a virtual town hall highlighting public banking as an essential strategy for ensuring a just COVID-19 recovery. The timely event, entitled “From Crisis to Recovery: NY’s Fight for Public Banking,” engaged more than 1,000 New Yorkers and…
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The City: Debt Collectors Freeze Funds of New Yorkers Struggling in Pandemic
The City — As the coronavirus crisis unfolded in New York, Robert McNamara thought he should take some money out of the bank, just to be safe. On March 19, the substitute teacher and father of two figured he’d be out of work for a while. Public schools had just closed, possibly for the rest…
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Law 360: Virus Sparks Calls To Pump The Brakes On Debt Suits
Law 360 — As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to envelop the country, some consumer advocates are calling for greater protections for consumers until the crisis abates, arguing that the economic crisis is negatively impacting the ability of Americans to not only pay their debts but also fight collection actions in court.
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ProPublica: Coronavirus Put Her Out of Work, Then Debt Collectors Froze Her Savings Account
ProPublica — Late last month, Kim Boatswain sat down at her computer in her southeast Austin home and logged into her credit union account. Her bills and mortgage were coming due soon, and she needed to move money from her savings to checking so she could pay them.
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Shareholders Charge Citibank with Exacerbating the COVID-19 Crisis and Fueling Climate Change, at Annual Meeting
At Citigroup’s “2020 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting” today, New Economy Project will confront Citi executives about the bank’s undisclosed funding of corporate lobbying by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other industry associations. The group will challenge Citi for supporting destructive lobbying agendas that further jeopardize public health during the COVID-19 crisis and that fuel climate…
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Statement on Attorney General James’ Guidance Blocking Banks And Debt Collectors From Garnishing Stimulus Checks
“We applaud Attorney General James for issuing strong guidance making clear that emergency stimulus payments authorized by the CARES Act are exempt from garnishment under New York law. Her commitment to aggressively prosecute any creditor or debt collector that garnishes New Yorkers’ stimulus payments is an example of the kind of leadership we need from…
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CBS News: Debt collectors are going after Americans’ stimulus checks—and the CARES Act allows it
CBS News — The U.S. Treasury is sending out 80 million stimulus checks this week, the first part of its effort to put cash into Americans’ hands to ride out the coronavirus pandemic. But many of those checks will never reach the people they’re intended for.