Stimulus-Funded Program Shines but Storm Clouds are on the Horizon In 2009, as part of the Stimulus bill passed in response to the Great Recession, the U.S. government appropriated $5 billion for the federal Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) to weatherize low-income homes in 50 states over 3 years. States delivered energy improvements to 775,000 homes…
These Reply Comments, filed by the National Consumer Law Center on behalf of its low-income clients, supplement the Comments filed on February 10, 2023, in this docket. Sections IV(A) and (B) of our primary comments explain our position that DentalPlans.com (DentalPlans) has not shown that consumers provided prior express written consent as required for prerecorded…
The bill HB23-1126 would prohibit the reporting of medical debt information by consumer reporting agencies (CRAs). It would also inform consumers about their rights by requiring debt collectors to notify consumers with medical debt that such debt can no longer be included on credit reports, with narrow exceptions. Medical debt information in consumer reports (also…
The undersigned organizations strongly recommend the Federal Communications Commission consider banning forced arbitration clauses in your effort to update and strengthen the data breach rule for telecommunications carriers. The NPR states that the purpose of the proposed rule is to “provide greater protections to the public.” This is a laudable goal, but providing greater rights…
Consumers with HELOCs have substantially fewer and weaker protections than homeowners with other types of mortgages: The federal Flood Disaster Protection Act does not require servicers to escrow for flood insurance for HELOCs. The Electronic Funds Transfer Act does not apply to HELOCs. The minimum number of loans a lender must originate before becoming subject…
Read More about Home Equity Lines of Credit Gaps in Coverage & Exemptions from Regulations
More than a quarter of households struggle to meet their energy needs. These households frequently face the risk of having their utility service terminated. Low-income families, in particular, spend a substantial portion of their income on electricity and heating. The average low-income household spends around 14% of their annual income on energy bills, compared to…
Read More about Tariff-based On-Bill Financing: Assessing the Risks for Low-Income Consumers
Resident ownership of manufactured housing communities brings enormous advantages, both for the residents and for the community at large. When residents own the land on which their homes sit, they – and the community at large — know that their homes are secure. The danger of closure of the park, leaving hundreds of families without…
Read More about Testimony Before the Connecticut General Assembly Regarding Raised Bill No. 988
Manufactured housing is the largest source of unsubsidized affordable housing in the United States. H.B. 23 would go a long way to stabilize and improve manufactured home communities in Maryland, and the lives of the people – many of whom are low or moderate income – who live there. NCLC has long had a focus…
Read More about Testimony Before Maryland General Assembly Regarding H.B. 23
NCLC submitted comments in response to the previous version of the proposed amendments. We commend the efforts of the Department of Financial Services (“DFS”) to continue to strengthen these regulations and to fill gaps in consumer protections left by the federal debt collection regulations issued to implement the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (Regulation F).…
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 230 national organizations to promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States, and 12 undersigned organizations write to submit comments on the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed regulations governing Income-Driven…
Comments filed on behalf of low-income clients and a coalition of consumer and privacy organizations opposing in all respects the Petition filed by DentalPlans.com.
