🚫 Park National Bank: When a Bank Leaves and Doesn’t Come Back | Behind the Lines

In 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a redlining complaint against Park National Bank, an Ohio-based lender that didn’t just overlook Black and Latino communities—it abandoned them.

From 2015 to 2021, Park National closed its only branch in a majority-Black neighborhood in Columbus…and never came back.

📉 What did the investigation find?
❌ No branches in Black or Latino neighborhoods after 2018
👥 No loan officers assigned to serve those areas
📣 No marketing or community outreach
🏠 Other banks made 5x more loans in those communities

Park National didn’t say “no” out loud.
But their absence sent a message loud and clear:
You’re not a priority.

⚖️ What was the outcome?
In a $9 million settlement, the bank agreed to:

💰 $7.75M for home loan subsidies in redlined areas
📚 $750K for outreach, counseling, and advertising
🤝 $500K for building new local partnerships
🏦 Open a new branch and lending center
🔍 Undergo monitoring and staff training on fair lending

🧱 Why it still matters:
Redlining isn’t just about overt denial.
It’s about who gets left behind when banks disappear—and who gets the opportunity to build wealth through homeownership.

📘 Want to learn more?
Download The Redlining Case Files—my free e-guide breaking down real-life cases of housing discrimination and what we can do to challenge it. https://242922488.hs-sites-na2.com/tool-kits

📖 READ THE FULL BLOG POST:
👉 https://theconstructivehouse.blogspot.com

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Because showing up for communities matters.
And justice starts with accountability.

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