Reforming the Federal Home Loan Banks

The Federal Home Loan Bank System comprised of 11 cooperative banks has been a mainstay in housing finance for 90 years. The FHLBanks provide a stable source of liquidity to its member institutions and support housing and community development but in recent years have come under scrutiny by their regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) particularly in the wake of the spring 2023 banking crisis where nearly $700B in loans (advances) was made by FHLBanks to members including several banks, like Silicon Valley Bank and Silvergate Bank, that ultimately failed. We’ll explore the role of the FHLBanks, their importance to housing finance and communities as well as what reforms may be warranted for the FHLB System. Teresa Bazemore, President and CEO of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco will be our guest on this topic moderated by Mike Fratantoni, Chief Economist at the Mortgage Bankers Association and a member of the SERC Advisory Council.