Lowering FHA Premiums is Timely and Wise: Statement from NHC on President Obama’s Jan. 8 Housing Speech - January 9, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—January 8, 2015                                

Contact:
Amy Clark
202.466.2121 (ext. 226) 
aclark@nhc.org

The National Housing Conference welcomes President Obama’s announcement today that the Federal Housing Administration will charge homebuyers less for its mortgage insurance. For several years now, FHA has had historically high premiums to restore capital to its Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund. Now that the fund is in a stronger position, it is wise policy to lower the premiums to reduce costs for homeowners and make FHA mortgages more competitive without exposing FHA to significant additional risk.

It is still very hard to get a mortgage, especially for lower-income and lower-wealth borrowers. For those not ready for or interested in homeownership, the cost of rental housing in most places is punishing. Today’s announcement is a step in the right direction for homeownership. We also call on President Obama and Congress to strengthen and renew support for rental housing, to assure safe, decent and affordable housing for all in this country.

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About the National Housing Conference
The National Housing Conference represents a diverse membership of housing stakeholders including tenant advocates, mortgage bankers, nonprofit and for-profit home builders, property managers, policy practitioners, Realtors®, equity investors, and more, all of whom share a commitment to safe, decent and affordable housing for all in America. We are the nation’s oldest housing advocacy organization, dedicated to the affordable housing mission since our founding in 1931. We are a nonpartisan, 501(c)3 nonprofit that brings together our broad-based membership to advocate on housing issues.

Click here to read the press release on NHC's website.