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On September 29th we celebrated and shared the accomplishments of Bank On Greater Milwaukee with nearly 50 attendees. A big THANK YOU to our funders and supporters! We also recognized our 2022 Bank On Champions for their efforts to support safe and accessible banking. Over the past 3 years, we’ve achieved the following:

Promoted 14 Bank On Certified Accounts. In 2019 there were 6 – our efforts have more than doubled the number of certified accounts in our market!
Completed an update of our annual “Your Smart Money” resource guide, including new content and a redesign. It features information on specific financial topics and in 2022 we’ve distributed nearly 6,000 guides in English & Spanish. It is also posted on the BOGM website Resources page.
Helped implement 6+ banking access program integrations and have produced & widely shared 23+ items of educational content, including guides, blogs posts, and videos.
Increased our coalition from 26 to 52 members, which includes 27 community-based organizations, 17 financial institutions, 3 government partners, and 5 network partners. Members have contributed 900+ volunteers hours to BOGM!
Educated and informed over 550 individuals on banking access issues through 10+ coalition meetings and roundtables.
Launched the Bank On Greater Milwaukee Advocacy Map, a tool to help us identify areas of need compared to banking access points (branches, other financial services) – read more about it here.
Assisted coalition members and community partners to secure other CFE Fund resources to launch new services that strengthen financial stability for people and families such as the City of Milwaukee Financial Navigator program and REAL Banking initiative.

Check out slides from the event which includes more accomplishments over the past three years and watch a congratulatory message from Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson HERE.

Pictured above, left to right:

Conor Williams (Community Connector), Migdalia Ervin (Innovation), Adam Procell (Community Connector), Wisconsin Bankers Association, Heather MacKinnon (Community Partner), Wisconsin Bankers Association, Rose Oswald Poels (Community Partner), Pastor Raymond Monk (Community Connector), Jaime De Jesus, Sr. (Community Connector), Dan Krohn (Leadership & Activity)

Read more about our Champions HERE.

Our Fall 2022 sessions featured credit access programs and economic development tools such as business and neighborhood improvement districts.

Session 2: BIDs and NIDs – Overview & Outlook
Held on October 20th, this session featured a primer on an established tool for community and economic development: BIDs and NIDs (business and neighborhood improvement districts). They continue to evolve to meet the needs of local neighborhoods, support commercial corridors, and shape the fabric of Milwaukee.

Just over 40 people attended and learned about the Harambee NID, which has been operating since 2016 and has a homeowner repair program, the Crisol Corridor BID and their Cluster Grant Program, and gained a bit of knowledge about special purpose BIDs. This event was held in partnership with the City of Milwaukee Department of City Development Commercial Corridors team. View slides here>>

PRESENTERS:

Ken Little, City of Milwaukee Neighborhood Business Development Manager
Matt Rejc, City of Milwaukee Commercial Corridor Manager
Sally Svetic, City of Milwaukee Economic Development Specialist
Cordella Jones, Harambee NID #7 Board Chair
Leif Otteson, Cristol Corridor BID #50 Executive Director
Dan Adams, Kinnickinnic River BID #35 Board Member

Session 1: Special Purpose Credit Programs (SPCPs)
Nearly 40 people joined us on September 13th to learn about SPCPs, an established tool that promises to bridge homeownership and wealth gaps across America. Earlier this year, an interagency statement on the SPCP provision clarified how lenders can structure and offer an SPCP and HUD issued guidance addressing compliance with Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Regulation B, and the Fair Housing Act. Together these changes have led to increased interest and investment in SPCPs. Our session featured expertise and discussion from:

Brad Blower, General Counsel, National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC)
Geoff Cooper, Vice President – Product Development, Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC)
Gabe del Rio, President & CEO, Homeownership Council of America (HCA)
Letticia Flores Poole, Vice President & Co-Head, BMO for Black and Latinx Businesses, BMO Harris Bank
Moderator: Carol Maria, Community Affairs Specialist, FDIC

Attendees heard an overview of what SPCPs are, how they are being used, and about the impact of new federal guidelines. Additionally, our speakers talked about the importance for lenders to develop SPCP plans and the newly released online toolkit for mortgage lenders from the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) and Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). We are excited to work with the UEDA network as we see SPCPs emerge. View the recording and slides here.