The Future of Homeownership
Trends and Solutions
After years of steady progress, the homeownership rate in America has seen its biggest drop since the Great Depression. Lax lending rules and Wall Street’s lust for bad mortgages triggered a financial crisis that unraveled previous ownership gains and pushed economic security even further out of reach for millions of Americans.Today we have an opportunity to return to a stable lending environment with rising homeownership, but we’re at a crossroads. Policymakers face major decisions on new lending rules and the government’s role in supporting the mortgage market. A key question: How will these policies affect homeownership opportunities for low- and middle-income families who bore the brunt of the recent crisis?
Highlights
Lending Rules & Down Payments (“Qualified Mortgages”)
The Community Reinvestment Act
Policymakers debate the future of the Community Reinvestment Act, which requires lenders to serve all of the communities in which they receive deposits. CRA was enacted by Congress in 1977.
Published: November 1, 2011
