The Structured Finance Association (SFA) today released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Treasury led by Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin announced it will not restructure taxpayer investments in government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
The Wall Street Journal reports that getting a mortgage on some properties may be more difficult due to tightening restrictions on the kinds of mortgages Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac purchase and guarantee. The restrictions apply to condominium units which can be rented out, or which are in buildings that also have hotel units (i.e. “Condotels”), as such properties are outside of kind primary residences that the GSEs’ charter intended for them to finance
The Wall Street Journal writes in their Heard Explainer column that “finding an investor to take on each of the risks of the 30-year mortgage is the job of the Rube Goldberg contraption that is the U.S. housing-finance industry.”
President-elect Joe Biden’s December 10 announcement to nominate Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (D-OH) to serve as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) received mixed reviews from top lawmakers with jurisdiction over housing issues. Ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) said in a statement “I am confident that as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development she will work to address this public health crisis and our affordable housing crisis, and make our housing system more equitable.”
With climate change remaining a prominent issue globally, many former U.S. housing officials are warning market participants that failing to address these issues could significantly damage the mortgage housing market enough to lead the U.S. into another recession - or worse.
The Washington Post Editorial Board drafted a piece on Sunday, November 29, urging federal regulators to hold off on rushing the privatization of the housing GSEs. Within the article, the editorial board comments that rushing the process of privatizing the GSEs is dangerous because it could result in a massive shock to the mortgage markets that have already adapted to this “new normal.”
SFA supports the ultimate goal of releasing the GSEs from conservatorship and increasing the role of private capital in a responsible manner. However, a hastily thrown together exit from conservatorship based on the political calendar risks undoing the positive work that has been accomplished and is currently underway.
On Wednesday, November 18, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) released its final capital rule that establishes a new regulatory framework for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Last Tuesday, November 10, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a guide informing homeowners on some of the housing protections they have access to and providing them with a guide on the actions they can take to protect their homes from foreclosure.
With President-elect Biden set to take office in January, Trump officials could spend the next two months making any final changes to the GSEs before the Biden administration takes over.
