CREF Policy Update: ACT Now: MBA Issues MAA Call to Action to Repair Senate Housing Bill
ACT Now: MBA Issues MAA Call to Action to Repair Senate Housing Bill
Last week, MBA issued a Mortgage Action Alliance (MAA) Call to Action urging members to contact their U.S. Representative to ensure that four troubling provisions within the Senate-passed 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act are fixed as the House prepares its response. ACT NOW!
• The Senate passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (H.R. 6644, as amended) overwhelmingly on March 12. The House is now weighing how to craft a bipartisan response to that Senate product.
Why it matters: While the most current Senate bill includes several measures intended to improve housing affordability and supply, MBA does not yet fully support the housing package in its current form because there are four sections that require correction before the legislation is enacted. MBA is calling for fixes on:
• Section 901: Purports to ban institutional investors owning more than 350 units from purchasing ANY additional single-family housing. However, the definition of “single-family home” in the current text applies to rental townhomes and other attached units. Although there are carve-outs for certain types of build-to-rent transactions, they come with a requirement to dispose of those holdings after seven years – with existing previously built-to-rent properties and existing contiguous multifamily “horizontal” properties not explicitly exempted.
• Section 213: Was intended to raise Federal Housing Administration (FHA) multifamily loan limits for the first time since 2003. However, drafting errors in the current text would instead force FHA to lower those limits, undermining the section’s original purpose.
• Section 602: Would expand FHA’s consumer disclosure requirements to include Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loan pricing comparisons. Stakeholders note that lenders already provide this information through existing processes, and the new mandate could be costly without improving consumer outcomes.
• Section 101: Would require servicers of all government backed loans to provide “foreclosure mitigation” counseling to any borrower who becomes 30 days delinquent. It would also require the FHA Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund (MMIF) to pay for counseling across multiple federal programs, raising concerns about whether this use of the MMIF is appropriate or permissible.
What’s next: To participate in the MAA Call to Action, visit mba.org/maa or text “MBAAction” to 50457 to contact your Representative and urge them to repair the four sections of the Senate bill. This process will take you less than a minute, and when you take action, you will automatically join or renew your free MAA membership for the year.
• MBA remains engaged with lawmakers in both chambers of Congress (on both sides of the aisle) and with key administration officials – while pressing the House to make refinements to the four problematic provisions.
For more information on the housing package, please contact Bill Killmer at (202) 329-1894.
For more information about the MAA alert, please contact Jamey Lynch, AMP at (202) 557-2818.
HUD Makes MBA-Recommended Updates to FHA MAP Guide Requirements
Last Monday, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) made a number of MBA-recommended updates to its FHA Multifamily Accelerated Processing (MAP) Guide.
• The changes to numerous environmental review requirements, such as easing those regarding vibrations, noise, fall hazards, and pipelines, were all recommended by MBA in a letter to HUD last year.
What they’re saying: MBA’s Broeksmit in a press statement said, “MBA applauds HUD Secretary Scott Turner and his team for their responsiveness to feedback from our multifamily members to streamline requirements in FHA’s multifamily lending programs, lowering development costs and accelerating the delivery of much-needed rental housing.”
Broeksmit added, “These updates roll back unnecessary and duplicative provisions – including changes to vibration standards, underground pipeline requirements, fall hazard rules, and noise regulations – that have added cost, delayed projects, and constrained new rental housing development.
Why it matters: Many of HUD’s requirements for FHA multifamily loans are not tied to the actual risk of the loan. Instead, they aim to advance separate policy goals, adding costs and creating unnecessary complexity that can slow or hinder the production of quality housing for Americans.
What’s next: MBA will continue working with HUD to provide relief from other overly-burdensome environmental requirements such as those related to radon, migratory birds, site preparation, will-serve letters, and site aggregation.
For more information, please contact Megan Booth at (202) 557-2740.
HUD Adjusts FHA Multifamily Limits
Last Tuesday, HUD updated the annual statutory loan limits for Fiscal Year 2026. The limits were increased by 2.3%, following the Consumer Price Index (CPI). HUD will soon publish a notice with the high-cost areas. MBA expects all areas to be at the 270%-315% limit.
Why it matters: The FHA stat limits have not been increased since 2003. MBA has been working with Congress for the past several years in an effort to increase the limits, and legislation is now moving forward. We urge you to take the Call To Action (see other notice in this newsletter) to help get this across the finish line.
What’s next: MBA will continue advocating for Congress to pass legislation to increase the FHA statutory limits in a manner that more closely reflects the costs of multifamily construction.
For more information, please contact Megan Booth at (202) 557-2740.
Register for Next Thursday’s Quarterly Briefing with MBA Leaders
REGISTER: On May 14 (Thursday) at 3 p.m. ET, MBA is hosting a MAA Action Week Special Edition & Quarterly Briefing with MBA President and CEO Bob Broeksmit and SVP of Legislative & Political Affairs Bill Killmer for a timely update on our association’s key public policy and advocacy priorities. Register today at mba.org/maaactionweek.
• Why it matters: A strong grassroots campaign does more than raise awareness — it builds a lasting advocacy engine that drives progress well beyond Action Week. When companies mobilize their teams, participation grows, momentum builds, and policymakers hear directly from the professionals shaping the residential mortgage landscape. With more than 100 organizations joining us last year, we hope to set a new benchmark in 2026.
MBA provides ready‑to‑use resources—email templates, social content, active MAA rosters, and more—making participation simple and efficient.
What’s next: Let’s make this milestone year truly monumental. Complete our sign-up form, and receive campaign materials delivered straight to you.
For more information, please contact Jamey Lynch, AMP at (202) 557-2818.
Upcoming MBA CREF Council and Committee Meetings
MBA’s CREF Councils and Committees are a key way to connect to everything MBA has to offer around policy, advocacy, market intelligence and research, education, and networking. Visit www.mba.org/yourCREF to find out more. Councils and Committees are built around specific capital sources and serve as an opportunity for you to join other commercial real estate finance professionals to hear from experts, discuss opportunities and challenges, and connect with peers.
Upcoming virtual meetings include:
• Life Company Council: June 16
• Bank Council: June 18
• Structured Finance Council: June 24
• Private Credit Finance: June 17
• Agency Council: July 9
• Commercial Council: July 21
For more information, click on the links above and/or contact Kelli Burke at (202) 557- 2742.
Upcoming MBA Education Webinars on Critical Industry Issues
MBA Education continues to deliver timely commercial/multifamily and single-family programming that covers the spectrum of challenges, opportunities, obstacles and solutions pertaining to our industry. Below, please see a list of upcoming and recent webinars – all complimentary to MBA members:
• HUD’s Role in Multifamily Financing – May 20
• Mastering Commercial Insurance Modeling: Key Insights and Applications – May 21
• Understanding Tax-Exempt Private Activity Bonds in Affordable Housing Finance – June 12
• Fundamentals of Commercial Insurance Issues and Problems – July 15
MBA members can register for any of the above events and view recent webinar recordings by clicking here.
For more information, please contact David Upbin at (202) 557-2931.
