The FHFA has directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to make specific modifications to the Uniform Residential Loan Application, including removal of a question CUNA feels could have raised legal and compliance issues.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) filed cloture today on the nomination of Mark Calabria to serve as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). This sets up a Senate vote on confirmation in the coming days.

Credit unions play an important role in the housing finance market, and have a vested interest in the stability of the secondary mortgage market that the next director of the FHFA will help oversee, CUNA wrote Thursday.

CUNA wrote to the FHFA Tuesday opposing its proposed Federal Home Loan Bankaffordable housing goals regulations because they specifically exclude credit unions from being eligible to participate in the smaller member participation goal.

CUNA welcomes the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s efforts to adopt strong capital requirements, but has concerns about the lack of analysis of the impact on the cost of conventional mortgage credit in the primary market.

The FHFA should review all of its existing regulations for potential improvements, CUNA wrote to the agency Monday in response to the FHFA’s regulatory review plan, which it voluntarily conducts every five years.

CUNA supports the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s enterprise housing goals for 2018-2020, it wrote to the agency Tuesday. The 2018-2020 benchmarks for single family purchases remain essentially the same as in prior years.

CUNA met with Federal Housing Finance Agency Wednesday to urge the agency to reconsider adding language preference to its Uniform Residential Loan Application. This week 55 members of Congress sent a letter to FHFA Director Mel Watt with concerns.

Loan level price adjustments charged by government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac need to be reduced or eliminated, CUNA and other organizations wrote to Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt this week.

CUNA joined with several other trade organizations this week to raise compliance and legal concerns with the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s potential change to the new Uniform Residential Loan Application asking borrowers to indicate their language preference.