Local fair lending advocates are partnering with an out of state loan company to curb predatory lending in New Mexico.
Ona Porter, president and CEO of Prosperity Works, says the idea is to stop people from taking out loans from storefront lenders with high interest rates.
“The most vulnerable communities and also individuals are using those loans and they are loans that they can never really pay back," said Porter.
The loan company Oportun supports economic development by providing low-income communities with small loans and low interest rates. They’re opening two locations in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho.
Spokesperson Marivi Lerdo said their main goal is to give people with little to no credit a chance to build the credit they need for a better future.