Housing

The Department of Justice reached a $9 million settlement Wednesday with Westerly, R.I.-based Washington Trust over race-based lending discrimination and redlining in the state, saying the bank denied lending services to Black and Hispanic neighborhoods from 2016 to 2021.

The FDIC is launching joint ventures to market $33 billion of commercial real estate loans from the failed Signature Bank, prioritizing its statutory obligation to preserve low-income housing availability.

PACE financings expected to accelerate lending for energy-efficient projects under new Inflation Reduction Act: DBRS Morningstar report.

The move comes amid dwindling advances and a growing concern that the Home Loan banks are participating in riskier investments.

Led by Rep. French Hill, the group of conservative lawmakers said the agency must do more to ensure appropriate transparency regarding any new products or activities that the enterprises undertake.

In addition to hinting at a March rate hike, the central bank this week announced an intention to have Treasury securities make up a greater share of its holdings, which has implications for securitized home loans.

President Biden removed Mark Calabria as Federal Housing Finance Agency director hours after a Supreme Court ruling made the move possible. The administration is expected to offer up a nominee who will prioritize affordable housing and racial equity in housing instead of reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The housing starts and permit data suggest the pace of residential construction may be moderating after a recent run-up in building-materials costs.

In an analysis of the pandemic's impact on the housing market, the agency said nearly 10% of households could be at risk of eviction or foreclosure despite government programs to enable homeowners to delay their payments.