The Woodstock Institute self-describes as “a leading nonprofit research and policy organization in the areas of fair lending, wealth creation, and financial systems reform.”
The organization recently revamped its website to make its collections of local lending-related data more readily accessible online. According to a news release:
Of particular note is the new interactive data portal section of the website. It features visualizations of important indicators of our community’s financial stability, including data on foreclosure filings and auctions, mortgage applications, housing, income, and employment for the Chicago six county region. You can customize the data for selected community areas, municipalities, or counties.
If you’ve ever wondered what the number of foreclosures was in Pilsen in 2011, or mortgage denial rate for residents of Woodlawn, or how either has changed over the past five years, this data portal was designed for you!
Missing from the Woodstock site is the organization’s history of nimbly redefining lending policies it once advocated as predatory once their destructive effects on communities became clear. Go for the data; be skeptical of the advocacy.