The role of race in mortgage lending: revisiting the Boston Fed study

Raphael Bostic

No 1997-2, Finance and Economics Discussion Series from Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.)

Abstract: This paper reexamines claims that non-economic discrimination persists in mortgage loan origination decisions. I find that racial differences in outcomes do exist, as minorities fare worse regarding debt-to-income requirements but better for loan-to-value requirements. Overall, significant racial differentials exist only for ``marginal'' applicants and are not present for those with higher incomes or those with no credit problems. Thus, the claim that non-economic discrimination is a general phenomenon is refuted. Further, I can say little regarding the existence of discrimination among ``marginal'' applicants. To conclude that such discrimination exists, one must prove that the observed differences are not due to economic factors.

Keywords: Discrimination in consumer credit; Federal Reserve Bank of Boston; Mortgages (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1997
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Related works:
Working Paper: The Role of Race in Mortgage Lending: Revisiting the Boston Fed Study (2019)
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