John Molinaro, codirector of the Community Strategies Group for international leadership organization the Aspen Institute in Washington, spoke to Banking and Community Perspectives about his perceptions of rural asset building from a national perspective.

Postrecession, the asset-building movement continues to gain momentum across the country. Individuals and families pursue wealth-building strategies based on such time-honored principles as budget to save, save to invest, credit building, controlling debt and protecting wealth once it has been...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) assists historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) with grants through the Office of University Partnerships. The office helps the HBCUs expand their role and effectiveness in addressing community development needs in their...

In February 2010, community leaders and university officials who were interested in the future of both the city of Prairie View, Texas, and Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) attended a roundtable discussion hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’ Houston Branch. Out of this first...

Although the level of seriously delinquent mortgages in Texas is slightly improved from one year ago (see the accompanying article), such mortgages are still at very high levels in the metro areas. For example, over 30,000 households are at least 90 days delinquent on their mortgage in the...

Texas and other areas in the Eleventh District did not experience a drastic home appreciation or expansion of exotic mortgages in the lead-up to the recent recession; therefore, the region did not get into a mortgage crisis as severe as in some other parts of the nation (Figure 1). However, the...

In September 2011, the Disability Opportunity Fund (DOF) and the Dallas Fed partnered on a conference that addressed the financing of disability housing.

With 14.2 percent of the population over the age of 5 having a disability,[1] finding viable housing options that are universally designed and constructed to be accessible for people with disabilities is an ongoing challenge in Texas. And promoting housing solutions and partnerships that can...

Jean Langendorf, vice president of community and housing services for Easter Seals of Central Texas in Austin, has over 25 years of experience working to improve the lives of people with physical and mental impairments. She is widely respected as one of the state’s leading advocates for the...