by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SOUTH BRONX/SDNY, Nov 17 – Amid the FDIC's bid to eliminate public notice of and public comment on branch applications, Citizens Bank NA is moving to close 15 more branches, including in low and moderate income areas.
This comes as Citizens Bank has lending disparities in New York, Ohio and nationwide. So on November 17 this has been filed:
On behalf of Fair Finance Watch and in my personal capacity this is a timely comment opposing the 15 recent branch closing applications by Citizens Bank NA - as lead example, this proposed closing in a moderate income census tract, on which a public hearing is being timely requested:
Akron Square 1165 E. WATERLOO ROAD AKRON OH 44306 OCC 122595A
Demographics: Tract Income Level Moderate Tract Median Family Income $39,184 Tract Median Family Income % 50.99 Tract Population 3783 Tract Minority % 49.27
For identification: here from public reports are some of the branches Citizens Bank is seeking to close, and to which this timely hearing request applies: Ohio 9231 Chillicothe Road, Kirtland, OH 8806 Ohio River Road, Wheelersburg, OH 3528 Tuscarawas St. W., Canton, OH 1460 S. Byrne Road, Toledo, OH 1165 E. Waterloo Road, Akron, OH
Massachusetts 225 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA 673 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury, MA
Michigan 100 W. Broad St., Chesaning, MI
New Hampshire 581 Franklin Pierce Highway, Barrington, NH One Constitutional Way, Somersworth, NH
New York 131 East 57th St., New York City, NY 6708 Route 9, Rhinebeck, NY Pennsylvania 101 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale, PA
Vermont 1108 Vt Rt. 149, West Pawlet, VT And all of these, from the OCC's web site [table]
Nationwide, Citizens Bank in 2024 denied 3771 applications from African Americans while making fewer, only 3575 loans - while it made fully 40,596 loans to whites and denied only 19,889 applications. This is disparate, and it is systemic. In state after state, Citizens Bank for African Americans has more denials than originations, while the opposite is true for white borrows. The pattern is striking, starting with New York:
In New York, Citizens Bank in 2024 denied 704 applications from African Americans while making fewer, only 573 loans - while it made fully 5874 loans to whites and denied only 3305 applications. This is disparate.
In Ohio, Citizens Bank made only 275 mortgage loans to African Americans while denying fully 219; meanwhile to white it made fully 3052 loans while denying only 1279 applications. This too is disparate.
Bank of America, moving to close eight branches has been sued in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for having enabled Jeffrey Epstein. Inner City Press has covered that case and others against BofA.
On November 12 Fair Finance Watch filed opposition to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency:
Dear Jason Almonte, Director for Large Bank Licensing and to Whom it May Concern at the OCC:
On behalf of Fair Finance Watch and in my personal capacity this is a timely comment opposing the recent branch closing applications by Bank of America, National Association. These comments in opposition are timely
| Details | Receipt | 2025-10-02 | Branch Closings | 2025-BranchClosing-343406 | Bank of America, NA | 100 North Tryon Street, Suite 170 | Charlotte | NC | Mecklenburg | |
| Details | Receipt | 2025-10-02 | Branch Closings | 2025-BranchClosing-343413 | Bank of America, NA | 100 North Tryon Street, Suite 170 | Charlotte | NC | Mecklenburg | |
| Details | Receipt | 2025-10-16 | Branch Closings | 2025-BranchClosing-343558 | Bank of America, NA | 100 North Tryon Street, Suite 170 | Charlotte | NC | Mecklenburg | |
| Details | Receipt | 2025-10-16 | Branch Closings | 2025-BranchClosing-343559 | Bank of America, NA | 100 North Tryon Street, Suite 170 | Charlotte | NC | Mecklenburg | |
| Details | Receipt | 2025-10-16 | Branch Closings | 2025-BranchClosing-343560 | Bank of America, NA | 100 North Tryon Street, Suite 170 | Charlotte | NC | Mecklenburg | |
| Details | Receipt | 2025-10-23 | Branch Closings | 2025-BranchClosing-343656 | Bank of America, NA | 100 North Tryon Street, Suite 170 | Charlotte | NC | Mecklenburg | |
| Details | Receipt | 2025-11-06 | Branch Closings | 2025-BranchClosing-343871 | Bank of America, NA | 100 North Tryon Street, Suite 170 | Charlotte | NC | Mecklenburg | |
| Details | Receipt | 2025-11-06 | Branch Closings | 2025-BranchClosing-343873 | Bank of America, NA | 100 North Tryon Street, Suite 170 | Charlotte | NC | Mecklenburg |
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