Borrowing Trouble? III: Subprime Mortgage Lending in Greater Boston, 1999-2001

January 01, 2003

Two years ago, in response to numerous reports of the growth of predatory lending, both locally and nationwide, the Massachusetts Community & Banking Council (MCBC) — whose Board of Directors has an equal number of bank and community representatives — commissioned a study of subprime lending in the city of Boston and surrounding communities. The resulting report, Borrowing Trouble? Subprime Mortgage Lending in Greater Boston, 1999, was the first detailed look at subprime lending in the city of Boston and in twenty-seven surrounding communities. The present report is the third in the annual series begun by that initial study; it covers a larger geographical area than its predecessors and extends the time period covered through 2001.