Houston City Controller Annise Parker's Bank on Houston effort was showcased during a roundtable discussion organized by Houston ACORN as part of former Senator John Edwards' Half in Ten campaign, which is aimed at reducing the nation's poverty rate by half in ten years. “No matter how much money someone has, having a bank account can be the first step out of poverty,” said Controller Parker. “There's a good fit between the Bank on Houston effort and the former senator's Half in Ten campaign.”

Controller Parker has declared war on the predatory, high-cost payday lenders, pawn shops and check cashers that are draining more than $70 million annually out of the local economy and the pockets of residents in Houston 's poorest neighborhoods. Bank on Houston addresses the problem by providing easy, safe and stress-free access to low-cost bank accounts for the approximately 51 percent of Houston households that are currently unbanked.

Senator Edwards described himself as the Energizer Bunny when it comes to ending poverty and stressed the importance of working with partners at the local level. “It's very important that we work together because our power is greater when we join hands and speak with one voice,“ said Edwards.

ACORN, The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, has been a fighter against predatory lending practices for years. It is aggressively working in Houston and across the nation to help troubled borrowers and prevent foreclosures.

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