Sustainable Homeownership Act
A BILL
To amend the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Act and the Federal National Mortgage Association Charter Act to specify requirements with respect to the ownership of certain mortgage assets for the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and the Federal National Mortgage Association, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Requirements of ownership of certain mortgage assets
“(A) In general—No conventional”
“(B) Exception for refinancing—Notwithstanding the first sentence of subparagraph (A), the Corporation may purchase a conventional mortgage with an outstanding principal balance exceeding 97 percent of the value of the property securing the mortgage if the Corporation or the Federal National Mortgage Association, during the 30 day period before the origination of such mortgage, replaced a mortgage with the same borrower secured by the same property and the new conventional mortgage—
“(i) reduces payment amounts for the borrower;
“(ii) shortens the amortization term of the mortgage; or
“(iii) replaces variable rate mortgage with fixed rate mortgage for a minimum of a 60 month term.”
“(e) Insurance or guarantee on unpaid principal balance of a mortgage
“(1) Requirements
“(A) In general—With respect to the insurance or guarantee on the portion of the unpaid principal balance at the time of purchase of a mortgage which is in excess of 80 percent of the value of the property securing the mortgage that is required under subsection (a)(2)(A), the following requirements apply:
“(i) For a mortgage with an unpaid principal balance that is equal to an amount that is above 80 percent and not more than 85 percent of the value of the property—
“(I) an amount that is not less than 12 percent of the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer; or
“(II) if the mortgage is a fixed-rate mortgage with a fully amortizing term of less than or equal to 20 years, an amount that is not less than 6 percent of the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer.
“(ii) For a mortgage with an unpaid principal balance that is equal to an amount that is above 85 percent and not more than 90 percent of the value of the property—
“(I) an amount that is not less than 25 percent of the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer; or
“(II) if the mortgage is a fixed-rate mortgage with a fully amortizing term of less than or equal to 20 years, an amount that is not less than 12 percent the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer.
“(iii) For a mortgage with an unpaid principal balance that is equal to an amount that is above 90 percent and not more than 95 percent of the value of the property—
“(I) an amount that is not less than 30 percent the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer; or
“(II) if the mortgage is a fixed-rate mortgage with a fully amortizing term of less than or equal to 20 years, an amount that is not less than 25 percent the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer.
“(iv) For a mortgage with an unpaid principal balance that is equal to an amount that is above 95 percent and not more than 97 percent of the value of the property, an amount that is not less than 35 percent of the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer.
“(B) Exceptions
“(i) State agencies and certain mortgage programs—With respect to a seller that is a State or political subdivision thereof, for mortgages purchased on behalf of a State or political subdivision thereof, and for mortgages acquired under section 1335 of the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 (12 U.S.C. 4565), the following coverage requirements apply for unpaid principal balances at the time of purchase:
“(I) For a mortgage with an unpaid principal balance that is equal to an amount that is above 80 percent and not more than 85 percent of the value of the property, an amount that is not less than 6 percent the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer.
“(II) For a mortgage with an unpaid principal balance that is equal to an amount that is above 85 percent and not more than 90 percent of the value of the property, an amount that is not less than 12 percent the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer.
“(III) For a mortgage with an unpaid principal balance that is equal to an amount that is above 90 percent and not more than 95 percent of the value of the property, an amount that is not less than 16 percent of the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer.
“(IV) For a mortgage with an unpaid principal balance that is equal to an amount that is above 95 percent and not more than 97 percent of the value of the property, an amount that is not less than 18 percent the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer.
“(ii) Low income mortgagor
“(I) In general—For a mortgage with an unpaid principal balance at the time of purchase that is equal to an amount that is above 90 percent and not more than 97 percent of the value of the property, and for which the mortgagor of the mortgage is a low-income mortgagor, the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency may permit that an amount that is not less than 25 percent of the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer.
“(II) Low-income mortgagor defined
“(aa) In general—The term “low-income mortgagor” means a mortgagor with a household income of not more than 80 percent of the area median income.
“(bb) Area median income qualification—The Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency may adjust the area median income qualification described in item (aa).
“(2) Qualified insurer
“(A) In general—To be a qualified insurer under this subsection, an insurer shall—
“(i) be subject to any State insurance law or regulations that are applicable to insurance companies in the respective State in which the insurer operates;
“(ii) be subject to any eligibility standards as described in subparagraph (B); and
“(iii) be a private enterprise.
“(B) Eligibility standards from Corporation
“(i) In general—The Corporation may set eligibility standards, as described in clause (ii), for qualified insurers.
“(ii) Imposition of standards—Any eligibility standards imposed by the Corporation on qualified insurers shall be approved by the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and subject to a 30 day notice and comment period for the public, including insurers to provide input on the proposed eligibility requirements or changes thereto. The Director may only approve such proposed eligibility requirements from the public comment period.
“(f) Holding of assets
“(1) In general—The value of the covered assets held by the Corporation at any time may not exceed the greater of—
“(A) 8 percent of the Corporation’s total assets; or
“(B) an amount that the Secretary of the Treasury and the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency determine is necessary on a quarterly basis to—
“(i) engage in the business of securitizing mortgage-backed securities guaranteed the Corporation; and
“(ii) comply with the liquidity requirements prescribed by the Director.
“(2) Covered assets defined—In this subsection, the term “covered assets”—
“(A) means mortgages, mortgage loans, mortgage-related securities, participation certificates, mortgage-backed commercial paper, obligations of real estate mortgage investment conduits, and any substantially similar assets; and
“(B) does not include loans for the construction of residential dwelling units.
“(g) Requirements applying to the purchase of single-Family residential mortgages
“(1) In general—The Corporation may not vary the pricing or any other contractual term of the acquisition by the Corporation of any single-family residential mortgage (including by granting any variance) based on the size, charter type, or volume of business of the seller of such mortgage.
“(2) Equivalent offers—The Corporation shall offer to purchase at all times, for equivalent cash consideration (subject to an appropriate adjustment for the value of any servicing rights retained by an approved seller-servicer and for the cost of bearing or otherwise managing any incremental credit, market, operational, liquidity, or other risk associated with the cash window), and on substantially similar terms, including pricing, any single-family residential mortgage that—
“(A) is of a class of single-family residential mortgages that the Corporation offers to acquire for mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by the Corporation or other noncash consideration;
“(B) is offered for sale to the Corporation by a seller that has been approved to do business with the Corporation; and
“(C) has been originated and, if sold, sold in compliance with any underwriting or other similar restrictions prescribed by the Corporation or the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency as a conservator;
“(3) Simultaneous mortgage leins—The Corporation may not purchase a single-family residential mortgage that was originated in combination with a subordinate lien secured against the same property if at the time of origination, such mortgage or such subordinate lien provided access to a home equity line of credit that, if used by the mortgagor could, in combination with the original principal obligation of such mortgage and the original principal obligation of such subordinate lien, exceed 80 percent of the value of such property.”
“(i) dedicated for—
“(I) the purpose of deficit reduction; or
“(II) the purpose of supporting housing supply initiatives, including affordable and middle-income housing developments, as defined by the Secretary of the Treasury; and”
“(A) In general—For the”
“(B) Exception for refinancing—Notwithstanding the second sentence of subparagraph (A), the corporation may purchase a conventional mortgage with an outstanding principal balance exceeding 97 percent of the value of the property securing the mortgage if the corporation or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, during the 30 day period before the origination of such mortgage, replaced a mortgage with the same borrower secured by the same property and the new conventional mortgage—
“(i) reduces payment amounts for the borrower;
“(ii) shortens the amortization term of the mortgage; or
“(iii) replaces variable rate mortgage with fixed rate mortgage for a minimum of a 60 month term.”
“(d) Insurance or guarantee on unpaid principal balance of a mortgage
“(1) Requirements
“(A) In general—With respect to the insurance or guarantee on the portion of the unpaid principal balance at the time of purchase of a mortgage which is in excess of 80 percent of the value of the property securing the mortgage that is required under subsection (b)(2)(A), the following requirements apply:
“(i) For a mortgage with an unpaid principal balance that is equal to an amount that is above 80 percent and not more than 85 percent of the value of the property—
“(I) an amount that is not less than 12 percent of the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer; or
“(II) if the mortgage is a fixed-rate mortgage with a fully amortizing term of less than or equal to 20 years, an amount that is not less than 6 percent of the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer.
“(ii) For a mortgage with an unpaid principal balance that is equal to an amount that is above 85 percent and not more than 90 percent of the value of the property—
“(I) an amount that is not less than 25 percent of the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer; or
“(II) if the mortgage is a fixed-rate mortgage with a fully amortizing term of less than or equal to 20 years, an amount that is not less than 12 percent the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer.
“(iii) For a mortgage with an unpaid principal balance that is equal to an amount that is above 90 percent and not more than 95 percent of the value of the property—
“(I) an amount that is not less than 30 percent the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer; or
“(II) if the mortgage is a fixed-rate mortgage with a fully amortizing term of less than or equal to 20 years, an amount that is not less than 25 percent the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer.
“(iv) For a mortgage with an unpaid principal balance that is equal to an amount that is above 95 percent and not more than 97 percent of the value of the property, an amount that is not less than 35 percent of the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer.
“(B) Exceptions
“(i) State agencies and certain mortgage programs—With respect to a seller that is a State or political subdivision thereof, for mortgages purchased on behalf of a State or political subdivision thereof, and for mortgages acquired under section 1335 of the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 (12 U.S.C. 4565), the following coverage requirements apply for unpaid principal balances at the time of purchase:
“(I) For a mortgage with an unpaid principal balance that is equal to an amount that is above 80 percent and not more than 85 percent of the value of the property, an amount that is not less than 6 percent the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer.
“(II) For a mortgage with an unpaid principal balance that is equal to an amount that is above 85 percent and not more than 90 percent of the value of the property, an amount that is not less than 12 percent the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer.
“(III) For a mortgage with an unpaid principal balance that is equal to an amount that is above 90 percent and not more than 95 percent of the value of the property, an amount that is not less than 16 percent of the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer.
“(IV) For a mortgage with an unpaid principal balance that is equal to an amount that is above 95 percent and not more than 97 percent of the value of the property, an amount that is not less than 18 percent the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer.
“(ii) Low income mortgagor
“(I) In general—For a mortgage with an unpaid principal balance at the time of purchase that is equal to an amount that is above 90 percent and not more than 97 percent of the value of the property, and for which the mortgagor of the mortgage is a low-income mortgagor, the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency may permit that an amount that is not less than 25 percent of the portion of the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage shall be guaranteed or insured by a qualified insurer.
“(II) Low-income mortgagor defined
“(aa) In general—The term “low-income mortgagor” means a mortgagor with a household income of not more than 80 percent of the area median income.
“(bb) Area median income qualification—The Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency may adjust the area median income qualification described in item (aa).
“(2) Qualified insurer
“(A) In general—To be a qualified insurer under this subsection, an insurer shall—
“(i) be subject to any State insurance law or regulations that are applicable to insurance companies in the respective State in which the insurer operates;
“(ii) be subject to any eligibility standards as described in subparagraph (B); and
“(iii) be a private enterprise.
“(B) Eligibility standards from corporation
“(i) In general—The corporation may set eligibility standards, as described in clause (ii), for qualified insurers.
“(ii) Imposition of standards—Any eligibility standards imposed by the corporation on qualified insurers shall be approved by the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and subject to a 30 day notice and comment period for the public, including insurers to provide input on the proposed eligibility requirements or changes thereto. The Director may only approve such proposed eligibility requirements from the public comment period.
“(e) Holding of assets
“(1) In general—The value of the covered assets held by the corporation at any time may not exceed the greater of—
“(A) 8 percent of the corporation’s total assets; or
“(B) an amount that the Secretary of the Treasury and the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency determine is necessary on a quarterly basis to—
“(i) engage in the business of securitizing mortgage-backed securities guaranteed the corporation; and
“(ii) comply with the liquidity requirements prescribed by the Director.
“(2) Covered assets defined—In this subsection, the term “covered assets”—
“(A) means mortgages, mortgage loans, mortgage-related securities, participation certificates, mortgage-backed commercial paper, obligations of real estate mortgage investment conduits, and any substantially similar assets; and
“(B) does not include loans for the construction of residential dwelling units.
“(f) Requirements applying to the purchase of single-Family residential mortgages
“(1) In general—The corporation may not vary the pricing or any other contractual term of the acquisition by the corporation of any single-family residential mortgage (including by granting any variance) based on the size, charter type, or volume of business of the seller of such mortgage.
“(2) Equivalent offers—The corporation shall offer to purchase at all times, for equivalent cash consideration (subject to an appropriate adjustment for the value of any servicing rights retained by an approved seller-servicer and for the cost of bearing or otherwise managing any incremental credit, market, operational, liquidity, or other risk associated with the cash window), and on substantially similar terms, including pricing, any single-family residential mortgage that—
“(A) is of a class of single-family residential mortgages that the corporation offers to acquire for mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by the corporation or other noncash consideration;
“(B) is offered for sale to the corporation by a seller that has been approved to do business with the corporation; and
“(C) has been originated and, if sold, sold in compliance with any underwriting or other similar restrictions prescribed by the corporation or the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency as a conservator;
“(3) Simultaneous mortgage leins—The corporation may not purchase a single-family residential mortgage that was originated in combination with a subordinate lien secured against the same property if at the time of origination, such mortgage or such subordinate lien provided access to a home equity line of credit that, if used by the mortgagor could, in combination with the original principal obligation of such mortgage and the original principal obligation of such subordinate lien, exceed 80 percent of the value of such property.”
“(i) dedicated for—
“(I) the purpose of deficit reduction; or
“(II) the purpose of supporting housing supply initiatives, including affordable and middle-income housing developments, as defined by the Secretary of the Treasury; and”
Sec. 3 Adjustments to limitations of maximum original principal obligation of conventional mortgages
Sec. 4 Prior approval of enterprise products
“(A) In general—During”
“(B) Extension of public comment period—The Director may extend the public comment period described in subparagraph (A) by 30 days.”
“(g) Public disclosure of determination—In addition to information disclosed in the request for public comment under subsection (c), the Director shall publish on a public website and in the Federal Register any non-proprietary information related to a determination with respect a new product or new activity submission not later than 30 days after making such determination, including information related to the criteria for such determination.”
Sec. 5 Core capital definition
“(E) Any other components or adjustments as determined appropriate by the Director for the purposes of—
“(i) ensuring safety and soundness of an enterprise; and
“(ii) enhancing transparency and consistency with respect to financial industry standards.”
Sec. 6 Risk transfer requirements
“1329. Transfer of risk
“(a) In general—Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this section, the Director shall require each enterprise to transfer the vast majority of credit risk on single-family residential mortgages, as determined by the Director, starting at the first dollar after expected losses, using the most economically feasible mechanism to ensure that credit risk is transferred at all tranches of risk, as prompt as the market conditions will facilitate, to a diversified pool of investors and insurers, all on a safe and sound basis, to reduce the mortgage credit risk concentration at the enterprises at a cost that is considered reasonable and consistent with the level of guarantee fees being charged.
“(b) Credit risk transfer targets and publication
“(1) Targets—The Director shall, on an annual basis, issue and publish guidance that describes targets for credit risk transfer transactions.
“(2) Report to Congress—The Director shall, on an annual basis, submit to the Congress a report that describes the results of the previous year’s credit risk transfers.
“(c) Credit risk transfer structures—The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and the Federal National Mortgage Association may use existing Credit Risk Transfer structures, including Credit Insurance Risk Transfer (‘CIRT’), Agency Credit Insurance Structure (‘ACIS’), Connecticut Avenue Security (‘CAS’), or Structured Agency Credit Risk (‘STACR’), and Seller/Servicer Risk Share arrangements, for the risk transfer that is required under subsection (a).
“(d) Economically feasible defined—In this section, the term ‘economically feasible’ means the ability to consummate a risk-transfer trade in a manner that results in the enterprise remaining profitable on its acquisition of the underlying collateral in which the risk is transferred.”
“(1) Enterprises—The Director shall, by regulation, establish risk-based capital requirements for the enterprises to ensure that the enterprises operate in a safe and sound manner, maintaining sufficient capital and reserves to support the risks that arise in the operations and management of the enterprises, and promote consistency between the capital treatment of credit risk transfer and comparable risk-transfer mechanism used by federally regulated financial institutions. The capital requirements shall align with the actual credit risk characteristics of mortgages and mortgage-backed securities, including loan-to-value ratios, borrower credit scores, debt-to-income ratios, and product structure, and avoid capital treatment that discourages or penalizes the use of prudent credit risk transfer mechanisms.”