Enterprise Duty to Serve Underserved Markets – Colonia Census Tract Amendments
Enterprise Duty to Serve Underserved Markets – Colonia Census Tract Amendments
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ted Wartell, Associate Director, Office of Housing and Community Investment, 202-649-3157, ted.wartell@fhfa.gov; Marcea Barringer, Supervisory Policy Analyst, Office of Housing and Community Investment, 202-649-3275, marcea.barringer@fhfa.gov; or Dinah Knight, Assistant General Counsel, Office of General Counsel, (202) 748-7801, dinah.knight@fhfa.gov, Federal Housing Finance Agency, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20219. These are not toll-free numbers. For TTY/TRS users with hearing and speech disabilities, dial 711 and ask to be connected to any of the contact numbers above.
SUMMARY: The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is adopting as final, without change, a proposed rule that amends its Enterprise Duty to Serve Underserved Markets regulation to add a definition of “colonia census tract," to serve as a census tract-based proxy for a “colonia." The final rule also amends the definition of “high-needs rural region" in the regulation by substituting “colonia census tract" for “colonia." In addition, the final rule revises the definition of “rural area" in the regulation to include all colonia census tracts regardless of their location. These changes will make certain activities by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (collectively, the Enterprises) in all colonia census tracts eligible for Duty to Serve credit. The intent of the changes is to facilitate the Enterprises' ability to operationalize their Duty to Serve activities in colonia census tracts and thereby help increase liquidity in these underserved communities.
DATES: The final rule is effective July 1, 2023.