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TH E M R EP O RT | 45 O R I G I NAT I O N S E R V I C I N G DATA G O V E R N M E N T S E C O N DA R Y M A R K E T Tackling Diversity With Mortgage & LGBT Leaders THE AMERICAN MORTGAGE DIVERSITY COUNCIL WILL HOST A TOWN HALL MEETING IN CHICAGO, BRINGING TOGETHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE MORTGAGE AND LGBT COMMUNITIES ILLINOIS // LGBT individuals continue to face discrimination in many sectors of modern life, and that includes the worlds of finance and housing. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth continue to make up an abnormally high percentage of the U.S. homeless population, and local housing assistance services don't always have systems in place to help combat that trend. LGBT individuals also sometimes face discrimination or limitations on access to financial services. How can the mortgage industry adapt and evolve to meet the needs of this segment of the population? The American Mortgage Diversity Council is working to answer that question. On March 14, the American Mortgage Diversity Council (AMDC), in partnership with the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of Chicago, will host a discussion with leaders from the Chicago LGBT community. The meet - ing is the second in a series of town halls to be convened by the AMDC with LGBT community leaders from major cities across the nation. "The American Mortgage Diversity Council is a member - ship-driven organization of com- panies in the financial services industry working collaboratively to advance the conversations around diversity and inclusion by focusing on challenges faced by minority- and women-owned businesses, creating solutions through advocacy, education, and training," said John Rieger, Executive Director for the American Mortgage Diversity Council. The first AMDC town hall was held in Dallas in December 2017, and included representatives from U.S. Bank, MSI, Accumatch, Bank of America, Mr. Cooper, and the Five Star Institute, as well as community leaders from local LGBT organizations and charities. Topics discussed included housing protections for LGBT individuals, federal programs that encourage LGBT homeownership, workplace inclusiveness and discrimination protections, and unconscious bias training. Five Star President and CEO Ed Delgado said, "Five Star and the American Mortgage Diversity Council are proud to continue uniting mortgage industry and LGBT leaders with this series of town hall discussions. The pro- motion of diversity and inclusion is crucial for all sectors of society and business." Adept at Debt WHEN IT COMES TO BALANCING MORTGAGE OBLIGATIONS WITH CREDIT CARD DEBT AND COLLEGE LOANS, MICHIGANDERS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB. MICHIGAN // According to a new study by Credible of 540,000 homeowners, renters, and people living with their parents, Michigan tops the list of states where people are best at dealing with debt. The Wolverine State residents shell out just 25.3 percent of their monthly income on housing payments, credit card bills, and student loans, the study revealed. Arkansas, Delaware, Kentucky, and Missouri round out the top five states boasting the lowest debt-to-income ratios in the na - tion, the study said. The five states with the highest average debt-to-income ratio were Hawaii, Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and Montana, the study noted. On average, those who hailed from the Aloha State dropped 36.2 percent of their monthly paychecks on housing, credit card, and student loan pay - ments—the highest percentage in the country and over 43 percent more than Michigan citizens ante up each month. Why are some states seemingly more skilled at managing their debts than others? The answer, Credible contended, wasn't so cut- and-dried. Again, using Michigan as a case-in-point, cost of living played a crucial role. Low average monthly housing obligations rela - tive to average income (coupled with lower-than-average credit card and student loan payments) propelled that state up the list, the study said. Some states fared worse be - cause of especially high mortgage, credit card, or student loan pay- ments. Hawaiians, for instance, pay the fourth-highest on housing costs and second-highest total on monthly credit card bills, but don't earn enough average income to cover all those costs. The 540,000 individuals includ - ed in the dataset had an average monthly house payment of $906, an average credit card payment of $207 and an average student loan payment of $370. Their average annual take-home salary: $60,671. Almost 19 percent of the analyzed group had one or more mortgag - es. Of that segment, the average housing payment nearly doubled to $1,705. LOCAL EDITION ORIGINATION