. >> reporter: so she went to a local bank, firstrust, the only one with a brah in the neighborhood.nt there to get a home equity loan because i want to fix up my home. >> reporter: she was looking for $0,000 and, because of rising property values, h0,000 of equity in her house. she was current on her mortgage, and she has a steady income. >>ever, you know, did no refinance of the home. i just wanted a loan to fix up my house a i couldn't believe they denied me. >> reporter: she was told her credit score wasn't goodt nough. withouthe loan, she's afraid the condition of her house will. only get wor >> look. all these wires drive me crazy. doit's like, oh my god, i t know what's going on. i'm just scared. >> reporter: under the community reinvestment act, banko are requiredke loans to qualified buyers in low-income neighborhoods, like point breeze, providedhe bank has a branch that takes deposits anywhere in that city. but banks don't have to give them to the people who alrdy live there. the 40-year-old law didn't anticipate that historically black neighborhoods would be sought out by