Fundamentally, the activities of the RTF have involved:
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Research, education and monitoring
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Community reinvestment infrastructure facilitation
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Lending strategies and commitments
Under its research, education and monitoring function, the RTF has produced a notable and innovative body of research data pertinent to understanding the nature of disinvestment in San Diego. The City and County, the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development and contributing banks, have funded the research. Research has been done in conjunction with the San Diego Fair Housing Council, the San Diego Non-Profit Federation, the California Reinvestment Committee, as well as State Universities and the San Diego Association of Governments.
Topics have included analysis of home mortgage lending patterns, fair housing, homeowners insurance, and small business credit and equity capital. The research findings have added significantly to the myriad of policy and strategic initiatives undertaken by the RTF. Research findings have served as the basis for all merger interventions and public testimony.
Efforts by the RTF at infrastructure facilitation have focused on the support, formation, funding and development of non-profit organizations for the purpose of enhancing the capacity of the San Diego market to utilize bank financing products and systems to access and promote capital markets. These efforts have served to bridge the gap between the lending industry and the communities for affordable housing development, small business credit, grant making and new commercial development financing.
A multi million-dollar industry providing products encouraged by the Community Reinvestment Act has been created and is functioning effectively in the San Diego region. The RTF has had a central role in creating and maintaining that infrastructure.
The third area of focus and development for the RTF has been lending strategies and commitments. In 1991, the City Council and later the County Board of Supervisors approved new policies related to the RTF purposes. The policies provided the RTF an opportunity to secure commitments from lenders regarding their proposed CRA lending activities specific to the San Diego region. The documents were developed by the RTF and each lender and then presented to the City Council and the Board for approval. Each plan calls for annual reporting of performance numbers from each of the participating lenders. Data are presented in the areas of home mortgage and small business lending in low-income communities, lending for affordable housing, community development lending, corporate giving and some categories of consumer lending.
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