Washington, DC – Today, the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Mark Calabria, commended the Financial Stability Oversight Council (the Council) for its statement acknowledging that any distress that affected the secondary market activities of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) could pose a risk to financial stability if not properly mitigated. This is the first time the Council has acknowledged the Enterprises' potential stability risk. The Council's statement comes at the conclusion of its activities-based review of secondary mortgage market activities, which centered on the activities of the Enterprises. 

“I commend the Council for its historic acknowledgement that the Enterprises' activities could pose risk to financial stability," said Director Calabria. “Today's announcement is an important and necessary step to reform and protect the housing finance system so that the Enterprises can continue serving the market during crises. The next critical step will be finalizing the capital rule with the benefit of the Council's valuable recommendations." 

The Council's review also considered the extent to which FHFA's regulatory framework adequately mitigates the potential stability risk posed by the Enterprises' activities. The Council focused particularly on the regulatory capital framework proposed by FHFA in May 2020. The Council's analysis suggests that risk-based capital requirements and leverage ratio requirements that are materially less than those contemplated by the proposed capital rule would likely not adequately mitigate the potential stability risk posed by the Enterprises.

See link here for full remarks from Director Calabria at today's Council meeting.