In 1970 Shaw was doing relatively well, per capita income was close to the regional average and the neighborhood maintained high occupancy rates. Despite the strength of the neighborhood, macroeconomic and social changes in the 1970s resulted in challenges for the area. Population loss in the City of St. Louis, a declining regional population, and rapid suburbanization created pressures that resulted in Shaw experiencing declines on all indicators in the 1970s and 1980s. A particular challenge was the availability of mortgage and home improvement funds. For a period of time, Tower Grove Bank, a neighborhood-based institution, was the only bank that was willing to provide loans for the purchase or rehabilitation of older homes in the area (Don Burrus, personal communication, October 21, 2013).