February 26, 2020 / Source: FHFA

News Release

FHFA Issues RFI on FHLBank Membership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2/24/2020

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) issued a Request for Input (RFI) on Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLBank) membership. The RFI, part of a holistic review of FHLBank membership, seeks public input on whether FHFA's existing regulation on FHLBank membership ensures the FHLBank System, consistent with statutory requirements, remains safe and sound, provides liquidity for housing finance through the housing and business cycle, and supports the FHLBanks' housing finance and community development mission.

The RFI seeks feedback on a series of questions that are important to FHFA's understanding of the safety and soundness and mission implications of both the current membership requirements and any potential future changes. The questions address topics ranging from general eligibility and affiliate issues, to specific safety and soundness and mission requirements, to more technical matters relating to the application of the regulation. The responses received through the RFI will help FHFA determine what actions, if any, may be appropriate to take to update the FHLBank membership regulation.

“We look forward to hearing from all interested parties about how FHFA's membership regulations affect the safety and soundness and mission of the FHLBanks,” said Director Mark Calabria. “There is no predetermined outcome for this RFI, other than to ensure that membership rules are clear, consistently applied to all applicants, and that access to the Banks' low cost advances do not jeopardize the System's role as a key source of liquidity to support housing finance.” 

The public has 120 days to submit comments on the RFI. See the FHLBank membership RFI here.

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The Federal Housing Finance Agency regulates Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the 11 Federal Home Loan Banks. These government-sponsored enterprises provide more than $6.3 trillion in funding for the U.S. mortgage markets and financial institutions. Additional information is available at www.FHFA.gov, on Twitter, @FHFA, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Contacts:

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Media:   Raffi Williams (202) 649-3544 / Cynthia Adcock (202) 649-3753