Affordable housing

FHFA boosts Fannie, Freddie multifamily caps over 20% in ’26

U.S. Federal Housing is increasing the multifamily caps at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for 2026 by over 20% compared to this year, a level which keeps pace with volume growth in recent months, observers said. The combined cap of $176 billion is split evenly between the two companies at $88 billion. This year’s cap […]

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NYC landlords sue over rent law as vacant units climb

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani won after campaigning on expanding rent stabilization to improve housing affordability. When he becomes mayor in January, Mamdani will face a lawsuit challenging New York’s rent stabilization law. A group of New York City landlords sued, arguing that the law sets rents too low to justify spending thousands of

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Uneven signals mark a housing market stuck in neutral

High prices, tight affordability and general uncertainty continue to hold back would-be buyers. Redfin estimates that there approximately 500,000 more sellers are active in the market than buyers, giving the few active buyers more leverage on price and concessions. “Homebuying activity has stabilized at below-normal levels,” said Asad Khan, Redfin senior economist. “Many would-be homebuyers

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A rising threat to homeownership: How heirs’ property undermines affordable housing

A 2021 NPR podcast segment painted a picture of the American Dream turned Nightmare: a Louisiana family faced the loss of their five-generation-home that had been owned by the family’s great, great, great grandfather, Jacob Loud, who was formerly enslaved.   That segment from four years ago is still relevant today. And the Loud family’s story

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HUD announces drastic changes to homelessness strategy

The Trump administration is preparing a major overhaul of its homelessness strategy, moving away from long-term housing support and reducing funding for those programs. The plan redirects Continuum of Care program resources toward short-term shelters that tie participation to employment and substance-abuse treatment. According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban

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HUD opens bidding for latest vacant-loan sale

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced a December vacant-loan auction for properties secured by Home Equity Conversion mortgages. HVLS 2026-1 goes on sale on Dec. 9 and consists of first liens secured by Federal Housing Administration-backed HECMs, where borrowers and their spouses are deceased.  Total unpaid balance for the pool of loans

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Fair housing complaints stay near historic peak in 2024

Housing discrimination complaints were close to their two-decade high in 2024, alarming advocates concerned about a pull-back in enforcement, the National Fair Housing Alliance said. Its 2025 Fair Housing Trends Report found 32,321 discrimination complaints were filed in the prior year. While this was lower than the 34,150 complaints received for 2023, it is still

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Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac housing goals need revisions: MBA

The Mortgage Bankers Association largely supports the Federal Housing Finance Agency reduction of certain low-income single-family finance goals for the government-sponsored enterprises. But the one goal that was not changed in the proposal from the agency called U.S. Housing Finance by its director, the single-family low-income refinance goal, might not be attainable due to market

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$100M affordable housing fund is ‘just the beginning’

Forward look: The partners behind a new fund to finance affordable housing believe they can build a business by allocating CRA-related capital from banks for this kind of project. Expert quote: “We found a capital stack that has really never been institutionalized,” said Bryant Group Ventures Founder John Hope Bryant.  Supporting data: The U.S. is

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If there’s a national housing emergency, let’s be honest about what It really means

The Trump administration has hinted at declaring a national housing emergency. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent floated the idea, and President Trump confirmed it is under consideration. A “federal emergency” sounds dramatic and grabs headlines. But here’s the reality: declaring one might ease financing restraints for single-family buyers, say, by subsidizing closing costs, but can it

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