Planning & Policy Analysis

A 2009 presentation by Ira Goldstein that uses the MVA as a tool to understand how to identify and deploy resources to preserve and enhance Philadelphia’s vital, middle-market neighborhoods. Learn more>

Fighting Predatory Lending

TRF’s Lost Values – A Study of Predatory Lending in Philadelphia has become a crucial resource for policy makers fighting problems of predatory lending and unsustainable sub-prime mortgages.

A detailed case study with national implications, this Ford Foundation funded report systematically analyzed predatory lending throughout the city of Philadelphia on an unprecedented scale. The results: one in 30 Philadelphia homeowners have been directly affected by predatory lending; one in seven of those with refinanced mortgages are estimated to be affected. The study’s wide-ranging policy recommendations received attention on the state and federal level, including from the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board. Among the recommendations garnering high praise was the establishment of suitability standards for mortgage lenders and greater market transparency for the lending process. The study augments TRF’s nationally recognized work on housing-related issues.


Questions? Contact PolicySolutions@trfund.com or call 215-574-5800.