Corsair, a private pot of money and investors that seems poised to bail out National City, is an interesting development, but if you're concerned about housing and local investment, where is the encouragement for the future in a bank that got into this mess, at least in part, through poor lending practices and weak management oversight on home lending?

Even before considering the mortgage lending crisis, at least by one measure, National City had a weak commitment to housing in Cleveland. While reviewing banking data for a troubled homeowner in a lawsuit, I was disappointed to learn that, despite qualifying to offer residents a mortgage assistance program of the Ohio Department of Development, National City participation, or even knowledge of the program, was limiting and harmed Cleveland residents. The state's Mortgage Credit Certificate program offers a credit equal to 20% of the mortgage payments, for first-time home buyers in Cleveland. However, the state data indicated that National City originated only eight Mortgage Credit Certificate loans since 2000, compared to the thousands offered by other banks who also qualified to develop loans for the state program. According to the data, Cuyahoga County represents 16% of the total number of loans and 15% of the total mortgage value of homes in the state's Mortgage Credit program. Other banks used the state program to help residents, but not National City.

Sadly, rather than promote Ohio's program for Cleveland residents, as they are required to do under the terms of the program, National City treated the housing program for Northeast Ohio as a promotional opportunity, perhaps more like the pancakes and Broadway plays we've read about, rather than a real development tool providing support for Cleveland residents and Cleveland neighborhoods.

The mortgage crisis is not some sort of external force, intruding to crush a banks' bottom line. Some housing and development tools could have made a difference for some residents, if only National City used them in an informed, committed way. At this tax time, what Cleveland resident wouldn't appreciate a tax credit for 20% of their mortgage payments? Unfortunately, when Cleveland residents looked for help on home mortgages through an important state program, National City looked away.

While we are all pleased by National City's support for theater and the arts, United Way and pancake cook-offs, residents of Northeast Ohio look to National City for essential housing loans and guidance and on that point, National City conduct has been, in this case, a very deep disappointment. National City needs to pay more attention to the activities of housing and lending, including the use of readily available development tools for Cleveland neighborhoods.

Support the arts? Sure, but National City can't ignore the job of promoting housing in Cleveland neighborhoods. So, if National City gets bailed out by an investor with no legal commitment to area housing (a bail-out partner that may stick around only four or five years), where is the incentive and push to improve practices? At least by the measure of this Ohio Development program, it's not "home grown" within National City.