Industry News

FHFA: Request for Input to Improve Access to Credit for Qualified Mortgage Borrowers with Limited English Proficiency

Washington, DC – The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today issued a Request for Input on issues facing qualified mortgage borrowers with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) throughout the mortgage life cycle process, including lending and servicing. FHFA’s 2017 Scorecard for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Common Securitization Solutions, requires Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the…

CFPB: Seeking Comment on Plan for Assessing the ATR/QM Rule

Today, we released our plan to assess the effectiveness of the Ability-to-Repay/Qualified Mortgage rule (ATR/QM rule). We are asking the public to comment on our plan, to suggest sources of data, and generally to provide information that would help with the assessment. We see conducting the assessment as an opportunity. Conducting the assessment will advance…

CFPB: New Information Will Help U.S. Improve Financial Literacy

New information released today shows how well American teens understand financial concepts and can apply them to their own situations. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published results of the 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) financial literacy assessment. This new information will help us develop targeted programs and initiatives to ensure…

CDFI Fund: 2017 NMTC Program Electronic Application Now Available

The electronic application for the 2017 round of the New Markets Tax Credit Program (NMTC Program) is available for applicants through their Awards Management Information System (AMIS) accounts. The Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) published the Notice of Allocation Availability for the 2017 round in the Federal Register on May 4, 2017. Community…

HUD: Trump Administration Proposes 2018 HUD Budget

WASHINGTON – The Trump Administration today announced the proposed 2018 Budget for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  The Budget reflects the President’s commitment to support HUD’s critical functions that provide rental assistance to low-income and vulnerable households and to help work-eligible families achieve self-sufficiency. The President’s 2018 Budget continues to provide…

Federal Reserve: Board Issues Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households

Americans’ overall financial well-being in 2016 continued on a modest upward path, although the improvement was less pronounced for those with less education, according to the Federal Reserve Board’s latest Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households. The report, based on the Board’s fourth annual Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking conducted in October…

Federal Reserve: Are Central Cities Poor and Non-White?

By: Jenny Schuetz, Arturo Gonzalez, Jeff Larrimore, Ellen A. Merry, and Barbara J. Robles1 In the U.S., geography has long been viewed as a proxy for income and race. The terms central city or “inner city” are often used as a short-hand for poor and minority neighborhoods, particularly African-American, while suburban dwellers are assumed to be…

CFPB: New Data Documents a Disturbing Cycle of Defaults for Struggling Student Loan Borrowers

New data shows a staggering number of struggling student loan borrowers are trapped in a cycle of default. Last year, nearly 1.2 million borrowers defaulted on a Federal Direct Loan—more than two borrowers every minute. In total, more than 8 million borrowers in the U.S. are in default on a student loan. A default can…

HUD: Rental Assistance Demonstration Generates $4 Billion in Public-Private Investment in Distressed Public Housing

WASHINGTON – Each year, thousands of units of public housing are demolished and thousands more sit vacant because they are no longer decent, safe or sanitary. Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that its Rental Assistance Demonstration officially surpassed $4 billion in capital investment in order to make critical repairs and improvements…

CDFI Fund: Update on CDFI Program and NACA Program Funds Availability for FY 2017 Round

The Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) will be awarding up to $196 million under the fiscal year (FY) 2017 round of the Community Development Financial Institutions Program (CDFI Program) and Native American CDFI Assistance Program (NACA Program). This funding was provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (the Act) that was signed into…