Community Reinvestment Plan Black, Latine, and Tribal-Led Lending Agency Support Program

Background

In 2022, the Legislature created the Community Reinvestment Account, setting aside funding to address racial, economic, and social disparities in communities disproportionately harmed by the historic design and enforcement of state and federal criminal laws and penalties for drug possession (the “war on drugs”).

The State Legislature directed that the Washington Department of Commerce to invest the funds in four program areas:

• economic development,
• civil and criminal legal assistance,
• community-based violence intervention and prevention services, and
• reentry services.

As laid out in the Community Reinvestment Plan, data demonstrates that in our state, those most impacted by the war on drugs are Black, Indigenous, and Latine individuals and communities.

Geographically, the most impacted counties are; Clark, King, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, and Yakima. These communities and counties will be prioritized, but not exclusively, for the distribution of awards under this RFP and for the community reinvestment funds.

Request for Proposals

As part of these investments, Commerce is soliciting proposals from those qualified and interested in participating in a program that aims to support existing and emerging Black, Latine, and tribal-led lenders who are or are not currently Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI’s), by providing grants for lending capital as well as capital for operations and salaries.

PROPOSALS DUE JUNE 1, 2024