The State of Housing Finance Reform

Abstract

September 6, 2016, marked the eighth anniversary of the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) in conservatorship. Although the economic and regulatory landscape has changed significantly, the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has not been resolved. We convened a panel at the ABS East conference held in Miami Beach from September 18, 2016, to September 20, 2016, to take an open-minded look at the state of housing finance reform, focusing on when GSE reform is likely to happen, what will be the catalyst for the change, what form the new system will take, and what are the costs and consequences of a very long conservatorship.