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WASHINGTON, DC-Predatory and discriminatory mortgage lending is still prevalent, according to the National Community Reinvestment Coalition's interpretation of data released under the 2006 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act by the Federal Reserve Board. Furthermore, NCRC says that these practices, coupled with the recent rise of exotic lending, have led to even higher increases of mortgage delinquencies.

"Dangerous lending practices are placing minorities, working class and even middle-income borrowers at risk of losing their home," says NCRC president & CEO John Taylor. "Once again, the HMDA data shows that racial differences in lending are getting worse, and they're fueling increased delinquencies."

For instance, 22% of home purchase loans in 2006 had "piggyback" or junior lien loans. After controlling for economic factors, the Fed found that the increase in high-cost lending increased serious delinquencies. The Midwest, including Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, the south Atlantic region, the Gulf Coast, and portions of Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado were the most affected parts of the country for such delinquencies.