The Federal Housing Finance Agency [1] (FHFA) has released a draft of its strategic plan for 2022-2026 and is requesting input on the plan from the general public.
The plan is meant to be a “transparent roadmap” that will guide the agency in its role as regulator of the Federal Home Loan Bank System [2] and as regulator and conservator of Fannie Mae [3] and Freddie Mac [4].
According to the draft, the FHFA Strategic Plan names three major objectives that aim to guide the agency in its business: to secure the regulated entities' safety and soundness, foster housing finance markets that promote equitable access to affordable and sustainable housing, and to responsibly steward FHFA's infrastructure.
"This Strategic Plan provides a concise and transparent roadmap for FHFA," said FHFA Acting Director Sandra L. Thompson [5]. "We will promote sustainable and equitable access to mortgage credit nationwide, and protect the safety and soundness of the U.S. housing finance system. We will also foster a high-performing work culture that exemplifies the Agency's values – while holding ourselves to the same standards of performance and accomplishment that we demand of our regulated entities."
The plan also names a number of challenges the agency is keeping tabs on that may hinder its mission in the future. Among them are the continuing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, a changing interest rate environment, supply-side constraints affecting housing affordability, and persistent climate change.
The FHFA was established in 2008 as a result of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA) with the mission of operating in a safe and sound manner so that they serve as a reliable source of liquidity and funding for housing finance and community investment throughout the economic cycle.
Click here [6] to view the 14-page plan in its entirety. The deadline for comments is March 11. Input must be submitted via the FHFA’s website here [7].