Gregorie: HUD still reviewing request

Candidate seeking inquiry of mortgage lending disparities

Charleston mayoral candidate William Dudley Gregorie said Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is still reviewing his July 13 request that they consider investigating whether mortgage lending disparities here are due to racial discrimination.

Gregorie, who was HUD's top official in South Carolina until his retirement this spring, requested the inquiry after reading in The Post and Courier about a nonprofit group's study that concluded that nonwhite borrowers are more likely to pay higher mortgage interest rates than whites, particularly in Charleston and North Charleston.

The disparity in the Charleston area was greater than in any other metropolitan area, and was true at all levels of income, the study by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition found.

The Mortgage Bankers Association criticized the study, saying it didn't consider the creditworthiness of borrowers, but instead focused on race.

Gregorie said it's fair to ask why he, as HUD's regional director, was unaware of the problems alleged in the study, but said that while HUD offices in South Carolina regularly take complaints about mortgage lending, they don't do the type of analysis done by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition.

Bryan Greene, HUD's deputy assistant secretary for enforcement and programs, said Gregorie's letter is being reviewed just like any other would be, and HUD does not disclose the existence of lending investigations.

"In order for us to bring a case, we have to identify a specific lender and specific cases of discrimination," Greene said.

Reach David Slade at 937-5552 or dslade@postandcourier.com.