Affordable housing

A trio of Federal Home Loan Banks this week publicized endeavors related to their affordable housing mission shortly after their regulator put out a request for input on that topic.

A growing number of states are tackling affordability struggles for middle-income renters, who have experienced the fastest increases in cost burdens over the past 20 years.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has come out with updates to the standard and limited FHA 203(k) program that the mortgage industry welcomed.

Major homeownership expenses now account for 35% of the average American's wages as housing market challenges continue, according to Attom.

Year-over-year home price growth was at its slowest pace since October, Corelogic's Home Price Index report said.

Interested participants will have until July 26 to submit responses through the enterprise's contractor platform.

Trade groups were disappointed that the challenge posed by high home prices came up only twice as the current and former presidents faced off.

Local governments must use funds to address hurdles in zoning, financing and infrastructure to produce new units and preserve others.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency wants feedback on how the Federal Home Loan banks can improve their affordable housing programs, including efficiencies in the application process.

The agency is giving funds to 23 providers in 15 states and the District of Columbia.

Home inventory on the market increased in May, but stubbornly high mortgage rates and home prices are leading to slow sales in many areas, according to reports from Redfin and Zillow.

The Massachusetts House passed a bill that would ease the process for property owners looking to build accessory-dwelling units.

St. John's Lutheran Church in Madison is redeveloping its property to build affordable housing blocks from the Capitol in the booming East Washington corridor.

The April and May announcements from the U.S. government, down payment assistance firms and lenders on easing the homeownership affordability crunch.

The rates of single parent homeownership by gender differ by 14 percentage points, even though more single women own homes than men.

Top Federal Home Loan bank officials said they fear the Federal Housing Finance Agency will use supervision to further the goals of last year's report recommending reforms to the Home Loan Bank System.

Banks and other private lenders could help ease the liquidity crisis facing some companies that service Ginnie Mae mortgages, but are currently prevented from doing so by the agency's rules. A simple fix would benefit everyone involved.

In a Senate hearing, Director Sandra Thompson said a raise to the required income threshold provided to affordable housing was on the table, while housing regulators also faced questions related to property insurance hikes and title insurance waivers.

Since the launch of vacant-loan sales, a majority have come from properties located in 10 states, HUD reported.

The questions about whether the Home Loan banks receive a public subsidy has been settled. All that remains is for lawmakers to take steps to redirect that subsidy toward public benefits rather than corporate profits.