FHFA Proposes New Housing Goals for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has proposed its housing goals for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for 2022 to 2024.
This year, FHFA is proposing two new single-family home purchase subgoals to replace the existing low-income areas subgoal.
One new subgoal targets minority communities; the other continues to target low-income neighborhoods.
The new minority census tract subgoal is designed to improve access to fair and sustainable mortgage financing in communities of color. A mortgage qualifies under the new subgoal if:
- the borrower has an income at or below area median income (AMI); and
- the property is in a census tract where the median income is at or below AMI and minorities make up at least 30% of the population.
“The new subgoal for minority census tracts was designed to help preserve and support affordable housing in communities of color,” said FHFA Acting Director Sandra Thompson. “The subgoal benefits families at or below area median income, allowing them to stay in the communities they helped build.”
Single-Family Housing Goals:
|
Current and Proposed Single-Family Goals
(percentage of overall qualified single-family purchases)
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Single-Family Goals |
Current Benchmark Level
2018-2021
|
Proposed Benchmark Level
2022-2024
|
| Low-Income Home Purchase Goal | 24% | 28% |
| Very Low-Income Home Purchase Goal | 6% | 7% |
| Minority Census Tracts Home Purchase Subgoal (New) | 10% | |
| Low-Income Census Tracts Home Purchase Subgoal (New) | 4% | |
| Low-Income Refinance Goal | 21% | 26% |
|
Current and Proposed Multifamily Goals
(number of multifamily units)
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Multifamily Goals |
Current Level
2018-2021
|
Proposed Level
2022-2024
|
| Low-Income Goal | 315,000 | 415,000 |
| Very Low-Income Subgoal | 60,000 | 88,000 |
| Small Multifamily (5-50 Units) Low-Income Subgoal | 10,000 | 23,000 |
FHFA will be taking comments on the proposed rule for 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register and NAHB intends to weigh in.
Latest from NAHBNow
Advocacy | Economics
Jun 18, 2025
Podcast: Mid-Year Update on Economic Indicators and Advocacy PrioritiesOn the latest episode of NAHB’s podcast, Housing Developments, COO Paul Lopez welcomes NAHB Chief Economist Dr. Robert Dietz and Chief Advocacy Officer Ken Wingert for a mid-year check in on key economic indicators and NAHB policy priorities driving home building for the rest of 2025.
Economics
Jun 18, 2025
Sharp Drop in Multifamily Production Brings Overall Housing Starts DownOverall housing starts decreased 9.8% in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.26 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Jun 18, 2025
Sharp Drop in Multifamily Production Brings Overall Housing Starts DownA sharp decline in multifamily production pushed overall housing starts down in May, while single-family output was essentially flat due to economic and tariff uncertainty along with elevated interest rates.
Economics
Jun 17, 2025
Builder Sentiment at Third Lowest Reading Since 2012In a further sign of declining builder sentiment, the use of price incentives increased sharply in June as the housing market continues to soften.
Economics
Jun 16, 2025
Permit Activity Weakens in April 2025Housing permits continued a downhill trend for the fourth month in a row, pointing to a broader residential construction slowdown for 2025. Over the first four months of 2025, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 320,259.