About CAPP

Communities Against Payday Predators (CAPP) is a coalition of labor, human services and faith-based organizations who have organized to protect working families from being taken advantage of by predatory payday lenders. The coalition’s goal is to cap the interest rates of payday loans at 36% APR.

In Washington State, payday lenders charge an average 390% Annual Percentage Rate (APR), and target low to moderate-income communities and people of color. Ten years ago, Washington State made it legal for payday lenders to make predatory loans. In 2005, payday lenders made 3.5 million loans worth over $1.4 billion dollars. These loans threaten the financial security of the people of Washington State.

Nationally, Congress and President Bush capped the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) at 36% to protect military families. Payday lending is illegal in fifteen states and it is time that Washington lawmakers took action to rein in payday lenders and provide fair and reasonable consumer protections.

Join CAPP and help us rein in predatory payday lending in our state.

List of Coalition Endorsers

We the undersigned endorse the passage of fair and reasonable consumer protections on payday loans. We urge state lawmakers to enact reforms including capping APR at 36%, prohibiting check holding / electronic access to bank accounts, allowing installment payments, and eliminating binding mandatory arbitration.

Organizations

• AARP of Washington
• ACORN Housing
• ACORN of Washington State
• American Federation of Government Employees 3197
• American Federation of Teachers 1789
• American Federation of Teachers Washington
• Asian Counseling and Referral Service
• Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance - Greater Seattle
• Asian Pacific Islander Coalition
• Associated Ministries of Pierce County
• CASA Latina
• Catholic Community Services of Western Washington
• Children's Alliance
• Church Council of Greater Seattle
• Coalition of Labor Union Women
• Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Yakima
• Council on Aging and Human Services
• Department of Defense, Defense-State Liaison Office
• Hate Free Zone Campaign of Washington
• International District Housing Alliance
• League of Women Voters of Washington
• Legacy of Equality, Leadership and Organizing (LELO)
• Low-Income Housing Institute
• Lutheran Public Policy Office of WA State
• Martin Luther King, Jr. County Labor Council
• Metropolitan Development Council - Tacoma
• Military Officer's Association of America
• Minority Executive Director's Coalition (MEDC)
• National Association of Social Workers - WA
• National Military Family Association
• Next Church, Tacoma
• North Columbia Community Action Council
• Office & Professional Employees International Union 8
• Opportunities Industrialization Center of Washington
• Pantry Shelf of Walla Walla
• Pierce County Asset-Building Coalition
• Pierce County Human Service Coalition
• Progressive Majority
• Puget Sound Naval Bases Association
• Real Change
• Retired Public Employees Council, Chapter 3
• Rural Resource Community Action
• Seattle / King County Asset Building Collaborative
• Seattle Women's Commission
• Service Employees International Union 775
• Service Employees International Union WA State Council
• Solid Ground / Fremont Public Association
• South Sound Outreach Services
• Statewide Poverty Action Network
• The Military Coalition
• United Food & Commercial Workers 21
• United Food & Commercial Workers WA State Council
• VOICES - Spokane
• Washington Association of Churches
• Washington Community Action Network
• Washington Food Coalition
• Washington Homeownership Center
• Washington Low-Income Housing Alliance
• Washington Responsible Lending Coalition
• Washington State Building & Construction Trades Council
• Washington State Catholic Conference
• Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence
• Washington State Democratic Party
• Washington State Labor Council
• Washington State Unitarian Universalist Voices for Justice
• Washington State Veterans Legislative Coalition
• WashPIRG
• Welfare Rights Organizing Coalition
• YWCA - Bellingham

Elected & Community Leaders*

• Nancy Amidei, Director, UW Civic Engagement Project
• Juan José Bocanegra, Staff Organizer, WA State Jobs with Justice
• David Della, Seattle City Councilmember
• Jean Godden, Seattle City Councilmember
• Larry Gossett, Martin Luther King, Jr. County Councilmember
• Melissa Huelsman, Attorney at Law
• Tony Lee, Advocacy Director, Fremont Public Association
• Mike Lowry, Former Governor of Washington State
• Mauricio Martínez, south-Seattle community member
• Mario Paredes, Executive Director, Consejo
• Lua Pritchard, Chair, Asian Pacific Islander Coalition - Pierce County
• Michael Ramos, Director of Social Justice Ministries, Church Council of Greater Seattle
• Tom Rasmussen, Seattle City Councilmember
• Tania María Rosario, Vice-President, Latino Political Action Committee
• Aiko Schaefer, Director, Statewide Poverty Action Network
• Ron Sims, Martin Luther King, Jr. County Executive
• Ligia Velázquez, President, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) - WA