CHICAGO-North Side Community Federal Credit Union opened its new headquarters Oct. 1, which was attended by NCUA Board Member Deborah Matz. Also while in the windy city, Matz lead a roundtable discussion for credit unions interested in partnering with the non-profit Neighborhood Housing Services. "This roundtable is an opportunity for credit unions to participate in programs providing financial education and affordable home loans that are improving many neighborhoods," she explained. North Side Community was chartered in 1974 to provide the `Uptown' section of Chicago alternatives to predatory lenders. Since that time, the credit union has expanded its field of membership to serve several low-income groups, including a Vietnamese refugee center and a Native American group. The new headquarters was designed to accommodate this growing membership and provide greater access to key financial services like financial education, micro-enterprise loans, and low-cost payday loan alternatives. "I believe it's important to recognize credit unions that are reaching consumers who have no affiliation with other insured depository institutions," Matz said. "I hope that by highlighting these efforts, many other credit unions will be inspired to reach out to underserved areas. It's an opportunity for credit unions to grow while reaching the people who need credit union service the most."