Affordable housing

Instead of shrinking the GSEs, the housing regulator is letting them expand into a host of new products and programs.

The groups applauded a proposal to establish minimum GSE capital requirements, but called for more immediate steps to release the companies from conservatorship.

Despite a legislative push by some senators and other stakeholders to jump-start housing finance reform, efforts to form consensus over a bill once again are stuck in neutral.

Freddie Mac is broadening its capital markets vehicles with its first offering of participation certificate securities backed by multifamily tax exempt loans.

The FHFA is allowing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to invest in the credits for the first time since they entered conservatorship. Its purpose is to promote affordable housing in underserved markets.

Rather than working with large-scale investors, Freddie Mac said it will focus on assisting community organizations and local institutions to fund single-family properties for renters with special needs.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency made just incremental changes to two of the seven affordable housing benchmarks.

Freddie Mac has priced its first credit-risk transfer securities backed in part by tax-exempt loans used to finance affordable multifamily rental properties.