Industries

The Federal Home Loans Bank System is under pressure to fund more affordable housing and has several proposals that may work in tandem with Vice President Kamala Harris' goal of building three million new units in her first term.

Apartment buildings, which make up about 40% of the looming maturities, are at the center of the refinancing wave. Many U.S. owners bought their properties using three-year floating rate loans during the easy money era.

Vice President Kamala Harris outlined a raft of populist economic proposals in her first major economic speech since securing the Democratic presidential nomination, including some aimed at lowering housing costs and boosting supply.

While the total dollar volume of apartment originations fell last year, the number of companies making loans increased from 2022, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

Retail properties account for the largest portion, at 23.5%, according to KBRA. Lodging follows, with 22.1% of the pool.

Democrats Ritchie Torres and Gregory Meeks called on the New York Home Loan bank to follow the lead of its peers and use alternative credit scoring models for collateral to improve consumers' access to homeownership.

First Foundation in Dallas recently got a $228 million capital injection led by Fortress Investment Group. Now it's announced plans to pivot away from its heavy focus on multifamily loans, which lost value as interest rates rose.

The guidance is largely unchanged from what the agencies proposed last year. It directs institutions to craft policies that consider a wide array of potential shortcomings.

For at least the fifth consecutive quarter, the Providence, Rhode Island, company increased its allowance for credit losses on general office loans, which continue to be a problem area for banks.

The Federal Reserve's struggle in bringing inflation down from its current level to its 2% target may come down to how the government measures shelter costs in the U.S., leading some experts to question whether the problem is in the economy or in how it is measured.