NAHMA HUD Update: HUD and FHFA Announce Collaborative Agreement to Advance Fair Housing and Fair Lending Enforcement

August 16, 2021

Dear NAHMA Members,

HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge and FHFA Acting Director Saundra Thompson recently announced a collaborative agreement to focus on enhancing enforcement of the Fair Housing Act, which HUD is primarily charged with administering and enforcing, and oversight of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks, all which FHFA regulates. For more information, please see the announcement below:

HUD AND FHFA ANNOUNCE COLLABORATION TO ADVANCE FAIR HOUSING AND FAIR LENDING ENFORCEMENT

Washington - Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) (collectively, the Agencies) entered into a first-of-its-kind collaborative agreement regarding fair housing and fair lending coordination. Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the two Agencies will focus on enhancing their enforcement of the Fair Housing Act, which HUD is primarily charged with administering and enforcing, and their oversight of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac (the Enterprises), and the Federal Home Loan Banks (collectively, the regulated entities), all of which FHFA regulates.

The MOU is an important mechanism that strengthens the Agencies’ ability to enforce fair housing and fair lending requirements, by promoting information sharing, coordination on investigations, compliance reviews, and the ongoing monitoring of the Enterprises. The Agencies anticipate that the MOU will lead to stronger oversight that will help advance vigorous fair housing enforcement that can begin to redress our nation’s history of discriminatory housing practices.

“Today’s signing is an important and historic step to advance and strengthen the enforcement of our nation’s fair housing and fair lending requirements,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “FHFA oversees entities that have significant control over a large share of the mortgage market. Stepping up our collective fair housing oversight of their activities will make an enormous impact on lives and communities. I am proud to partner with Acting Director Thompson on this effort and advance the work that President Biden called upon us to do. We are prioritizing the work required to remove barriers that have created separate and unequal neighborhoods and limited access to housing opportunity and wealth building. I look forward to working with FHFA to make a meaningful impact in this space.”

“FHFA does not tolerate housing discrimination,” said FHFA Acting Director Sandra L. Thompson. “Today’s MOU allows FHFA and HUD to share information and resources to improve fair lending oversight over the mortgage finance system. I am pleased to work with Secretary Fudge on the important work of fulfilling the Fair Housing Act’s promise of equal access to safe, decent, and affordable housing for all Americans.”