If Congress cannot decide on the feasibility of passing overall housing reform legislation, banking committee leaders from both houses may just pass Federal Housing Authority (FHA) reform as a stand-alone bill, legislation which almost passed in 2012 with bipartisan support. Overall reform might also include the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two very hot topics. FBR Capital Markets policy analyst Edward Mills says the improving performance of the FHA fund decreases the “threat of large-scale congressional changes to the program that could have contracted credit availability.” As nationalmortgagenews informs MHProNews, the House Financial Services Committee passed a housing reform finance bill last summer but the full House has not been given the opportunity to vote on the bill.

(Image credit: Federal Housing Authority)