FHFA: CFPB and FHFA Release Additional Data from the National Survey of Mortgage Originations for Public Use

Details Borrower’s Experiences Obtaining a Mortgage The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today released additional loan-level data for public use collected through the National Survey of Mortgage Originations (NSMO).  The data provide insights into borrowers’ experiences in getting a residential mortgage.   The NSMO is […]

FHFA: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Publish Joint Enterprise Credit Score Solicitation

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced today that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) have published a Joint Credit Score Solicitation.      “The publication of the solicitation is the first step in the process of evaluating new credit score models,” said FHFA Director Mark Calabria.  “FHFA will ensure that the Enterprises […]

HUD: New Report Explores Problem of “Credit Invisibility” Among HUD-Assisted Households

First-of-its-kind study examines reporting rent payments to credit reporting agencies Landlords and property management groups regularly use credit checks to make determinations about renting to potential tenants and many employers incorporate credit checks in hiring decisions. A low credit score or credit invisibility can thusly limit housing choice and employment […]

Census Bureau: Less Than One Month Until U.S. Households Receive 2020 Census Invitations

Invitations to Respond to the 2020 Census Questionnaire to Be Mailed to Households Throughout the Country Between March 12 and March 20, invitations to participate in the 2020 Census will start arriving in households across the country. “The Census Bureau is ready for the nation to respond next month,” said […]

Census Bureau: Census Business Builder Updated to Version 3.0

Now Includes Shapefile Download and Upload The U.S. Census Bureau released an update to Census Business Builder (CBB) Version 3.0. The updated version now utilizes the latest Esri technology that improves the user experience and adds new functionality. Functionality updates for both the Small Business Edition (SBE) and the Regional Analyst Edition (RAE) include: Users can […]

Federal Reserve: Do Minorities Pay More for Mortgages?

Read the full paper here. Abstract: We test for racial discrimination in the prices charged by mortgage lenders. We construct a unique dataset where we observe all three dimensions of a mortgage’s price: the interest rate, discount points, and fees. While we find statistically significant gaps by race and ethnicity […]

Federal Reserve: Evaluating the Success of President Johnson’s War on Poverty

Revisiting the Historical Record Using a Full-Income Poverty Measure Read the full report here. Abstract: We evaluate progress in President’s Johnson’s War on Poverty. We do so relative to the scientifically arbitrary but policy relevant 20 percent baseline poverty rate he established for 1963. No existing poverty measure fully captures […]