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8-K - 8-K - FEDERAL NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION FANNIE MAE | w77010e8vk.htm |
Exhibit 99.1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 13, 2010
Contact:
Treasury Public Affairs (202) 622-2960
HUD Public Affairs (202) 708-0980
FHFA Public Affairs (202) 414-6922
Treasury Public Affairs (202) 622-2960
HUD Public Affairs (202) 708-0980
FHFA Public Affairs (202) 414-6922
ADMINISTRATION COMPLETES IMPLEMENTATION OF
INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT STATE AND LOCAL HOUSING
FINANCE AGENCIES
INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT STATE AND LOCAL HOUSING
FINANCE AGENCIES
Initiative Expands Resources for Working Families to Access Affordable Rental
Housing and Home Ownership
Housing and Home Ownership
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of the Treasury, together with the Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD), and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced the completion of
all transactions under the recently-introduced state and local Housing Finance Agency (HFA)
Initiative, a key element of the Obama Administrations Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan.
With these transactions, the Obama Administration helps support low mortgage rates and expands
resources for low and middle income borrowers to purchase or rent homes that are affordable over
the long term. Government Sponsored Enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac played a central role in
both Initiative design and transaction execution. The HFA Initiative is expected to come at no cost
to taxpayers.
Through more than 90 participating HFAs, the HFA Initiative will make affordable financing
available to hundreds of thousands of new homebuyers and existing homeowners, as well as support
the development and rehabilitation of multi-family rental properties. Mortgages can be used to
purchase or rehabilitate homes, as well as refinance existing mortgages at more affordable rates.
Participating HFAs are also expected to provide affordable multifamily loans that will help keep
rents affordable for tens of
thousands of renters. Participating state and local agencies have already begun providing
affordable mortgages financed through the HFA Initiative.
Supporting the work of state and local HFAs is critical to the Administrations broader initiative
to stabilize the housing market, which is helping to keep mortgage rates low and mortgage finance
flowing for American households across the country, said Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner.
The assistance provided under the HFA Initiative will help maintain the viability of state and
local HFAs which play key roles in HUDs efforts to promote expanded access to affordable rental
housing and serve as important players in making homeownership possible for hardworking Americans
who otherwise would not be able to purchase or remain in their homes, said HUD Secretary Shaun
Donovan.
Working together we were able to address the stresses on HFAs created by the housing market
turmoil, said FHFA Acting Director Edward J. DeMarco. The Enterprises played a critical role,
consistent with their mission and on commercially reasonable terms. Their successful execution of
over 125 separate transactions, all in the final month of 2009, was an impressive achievement.
Given our long-standing partnership with state and local HFAs, we were able to move quickly to
support the Administrations initiative, which is targeted directly at affordable housing for
Americas working families, said Michael J. Williams, Fannie Mae President and CEO. By creating
$23 billion in much-needed, new housing capital for the housing finance system, this initiative
will enable the HFAs to return to the level of market liquidity they have provided historically.
We applaud the successful completion of the HFA Initiative. Freddie Mac is proud to provide an
essential financial link to the nations state and local HFAs that will support affordable
homeownership and rental housing and help stimulate Americas housing markets, said Freddie Mac
CEO Ed Haldeman.
Local and State Impact of the Initiative
These bond proceeds, combined with the $7.7 billion in retail housing bonds the Initiative
requires state HFAs to issue, will allow HFAs to finance more than 200,000 affordable homes,
while generating jobs and tax revenue for the economy, said Susan Dewey, president of the
National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) and executive director of the Virginia Housing
Development Authority. HFAs are already putting these resources to work to provide first-time
home buyer mortgages and finance rental housing, Dewey added.
The National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies (NALHFA) applauds the Treasury,
Federal Housing Finance Agency, and especially the Government-Sponsored Enterprises for putting
together, in a nearly impossible timeframe, this vital bond purchase program and liquidity
facility. It will give participating local housing finance
agencies the ability to significantly expand homeownership and rental housing opportunities for
their lower income households, said NALHFA President Patricia Braynon, Executive Director of the
Miami-Dade County, FL Housing Finance Authority.
The Treasury Initiative will provide loans to approximately 11,000 home buyers in Pennsylvania,
as well as putting our home builders back to work, said Executive Director of the Pennsylvania
Housing Finance Agency Brian Hudson. I believe a new and stronger partnership has been formed
between the Administration, the GSEs, and state HFAs to deliver affordable housing across the
nation.
As one of many HFAs that have participated in the Administrations HFA Initiative, the Idaho
Housing and Finance Association has been able to once again access the tax-exempt bond markets for
affordable homeownership lending capital, said President and Executive Director of the Idaho
Housing and Finance Association Gerald Hunter. Many prospective home buyers will be able to
purchase homes because of this financing opportunity. And, it comes at a time when our economy
needs all the assistance it can get. We appreciate the professional and focused efforts by the
many staff members at Treasury, HUD, FHFA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac to make this opportunity
available for our citizens.
Background on the HFA Initiative
On October 19, Treasury announced a new initiative for state and local HFAs to help support low
mortgage rates and expand resources for low and middle income borrowers to purchase or rent homes
that are affordable over the long term. Following up on the intent to support HFAs first outlined
in February under the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan, the Administrations Initiative
has two parts: a New Issue Bond Program (NIBP) to support new lending by HFAs and a Temporary
Credit and Liquidity Program (TCLP) to improve the access of HFAs to liquidity for outstanding HFA
bonds.
The New Issue Bond Program (NIBP)
The New Issue Bond Program (NIBP) provided temporary financing for HFAs to issue new housing
bonds. Treasury purchased securities of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac backed by these new housing
bonds. With these investments, the HFAs have issued an amount of new housing bonds equal to what
they are authorized to issue with the allocations provided them by Congress but have been unable
to issue given the current challenges in housing and related markets. The program may support up
to several hundred thousand new mortgages to first time homebuyers this coming year, as well as
refinancing opportunities to put at-risk, but responsible and performing, borrowers into more
sustainable mortgages. The NIBP will also support development of tens of thousands of new rental
housing units for working families.
The Temporary Credit and Liquidity Program (TCLP)
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are administering a Temporary Credit and Liquidity Program (TCLP) for
HFAs to help relieve current financial strains and enable them to continue to serve their
important role in providing housing resources to working families.
Treasury has agreed to purchase a participation interest in the Temporary Credit and Liquidity
Facilities (TCLFs) provided to HFAs under the program, providing a credit and liquidity backstop.
The TCLP provides HFAs with temporary credit and liquidity facilities to help the HFAs maintain
their financial health and preserve the viability of the HFA infrastructure so that HFAs can
continue their Congressionally supported role in helping provide affordable mortgage credit to low
and moderate income Americans, as well as continue their other important activities in communities.
Over 90 state and local HFAs representing 49 states participated in the NIBP for an aggregate total
new issuance of $15.3 billion. Twelve HFAs participated in the TCLP for an aggregate total usage of
$8.2 billion. The Initiative is expected to come at no cost to the taxpayers and to the Government
Sponsored Enterprises.
For more information about the HFA Initiative, go to
http://www.financialstability.gov/latest/tg_10192009.html.
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