BLS: Jobs Close to Flat in October

Total nonfarm payroll inched up by just 12,000 in October, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.1%, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Katelynn Harris Walker: Navigating LIHTC Equity–Challenges, Solutions, and the Road Ahead

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program has long been one of the most important tools for creating affordable housing across the United States. However, recent years have seen significant challenges in ensuring the equitable distribution of LIHTC equity, raising concerns among developers, investors, and policymakers alike.

CMF Quote of the Week

“With Christine Chandler’s and Owen Lee’s leadership and support, I am confident that we will make meaningful progress in addressing the many challenges and opportunities facing our industry. I am committed to developing new ideas and strengthening MBA’s ongoing commitment to increasing housing supply and affordability for ownership and renting as well as investing – through mortgage education and training programs – in the next generation of industry leaders.”
—-Laura Escobar, 2025 Chair of the Mortgage Bankers Association and President of Lennar Mortgage

Adrianne Todman: Supply, Disaster Recovery, Affordability Top of Mind

DENVER–Adrianne Todman, Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, spoke Oct. 28 at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Annual Convention & Expo, highlighting affordability, supply and responding to the recent spate of natural disasters.

McKinsey’s Laura Webanck: Women Make Gains in the Workplace, but Progress ‘Fragile’

DENVER–Laura Webanck, Partner at McKinsey & Co., took to the stage at the mPowering You Summit for Women in Real Estate Finance Oct. 26, to discuss data from the firm’s “Women in the Workplace 2024” report. While women have continued to make gains, those gains are “fragile” and “not guaranteed in perpetuity,” Webanck said.