PUBLICATIONS

Gorham, Lucy & Sonia Garrison, "Building a Strong Foundation: Integrating Financial Capability & Affordable Housing", University of North Carolina, Center for Community Capital, January 2018, https://communitycapital.unc.edu/research-item/building-strong-foundation-integrating-financial-capability-affordable-housing/​

"Affordable Mortgage Lending Guide, Parts I, II & III", Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), https://www.fdic.gov/consumers/community/mortgagelending/guide.html

​Bowdler, Janice L., Lucy S. Gorham, “All In: Building the Path to Global Prosperity through Financial Capability and Inclusion”, University of North Carolina, Center for Community Capital, April 2014, available at http://ccc.unc.edu/contentitems/all-in-building-the-path-to-global-prosperity-through-financial-capability-and-inclusion/
 
Garrison, Sonia & Mark McDaniel, “Pocket Change: Building Healthy Financial Behaviors and Self-Efficacy in Youth” UNC Center for Community Capital, April 2014, available at http://ccc.unc.edu/projects/pocket-change/
 
Garrison, Sonia, “The State of Lending in America & its Impact on U.S. Households: Student Loans”, Center for Responsible Lending, December 2012, available at http://www.responsiblelending.org/state-of-lending/reports/State-of-Lending-Full-7-1-14.pdf
 
Garrison, Sonia & Wei Li, “The Complicated Transaction: Using Net Present Value to Weigh the Costs and Benefits of the Cash-Out Refinance”, Housing Policy Debate, 2011, vol. 21, issue 4, pages 585-603 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10511482.2011.615853#.UweMPfldXlQ
 
Li, Wei & Sonia Garrison, “Fix or Evict?: Loan Modifications Return More Value Than Foreclosures”, Center for Responsible Lending, March 2011, available at http://www.responsiblelending.org/mortgage-lending/research-analysis/fix-or-evict.html
 
Weed, Sara and Sonia Garrison, “Foreclosure as a Last Resort: States Can Stabilize the Housing Market by Preventing Unnecessary Foreclosures”, Center for Responsible Lending, October 2010,
available at http://www.responsiblelending.org/mortgage-lending/policy-legislation/states/foreclosure-as-a-last-resort.html
 
Garrison, Sonia, Sam Rogers and Mary L. Moore, “Continued Decay and Shaky Repairs: The State of Subprime Loans Today”, Center for Responsible Lending, January 2009, available at http://www.responsiblelending.org/mortgage-lending/research-analysis/continued-decay-and-shaky-repairs-the-state-of-subprime-loans-today.html
 

CURRENT AND RECENT CLIENTS

Self-Help Credit Union – Develop organizational efforts to enhance the financial stability of Self-Help members and staff. Projects include an organization-wide needs assessment, the development and management of an in-branch financial coaching pilot program, and the research and evaluation of financial capability training options for Self-Help staff.

UNC Center for Community Capital 
- Contributing researcher and writer on the project, Field Scan on the Intersection Between Housing and Financial Capability. 
- Designed innovative, research-based financial capability framework for low-income youth for use in existing youth development and college readiness programs. 
- Contributing researcher and writer on financial capability white paper, All In: Building the Path to Global Prosperity through Financial Capability and Inclusion. Developed survey tool for non-profit housing organizations offering financial capability services. Conducting interviews with eight housing organizations.

Urban Institute - Primary researcher and author of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC) Affordable Mortgage Lending Guide for Community Bankers, a three-part series of publications that identifies key resources for community banks to use to increase lending to low- and moderate-income families. 

Abt Associates, Inc. Subcontractor and contributing manufactured housing content expert on Federal Housing Finance Agency’s evaluation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s Underserved Market Plans 2018-2020
 
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
Research Manager, Evolution Finance
[May 2013-May 2014]
Designed and executed research reports on personal consumer finance topics including bank accounts, credit cards, and mortgages for personal finance website.  Managed team of three research assistants. 
 
Senior Researcher, Center for Responsible Lending
[2008-2013]
Generated analysis for state and federal consumer financial protection legislative initiatives. Designed and managed team of researchers on large scale State of Lending research report.  Designed, managed and executed multiple research projects on the sub-prime foreclosure crisis and foreclosure prevention policies (see publication list).