FHFA Requests Input on Multifamily Tenant Protections
The Federal Housing Agency (FHFA) has announced that it is seeking comments from the public on tenant protections at multifamily properties with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which FHFA officially refers to as "the Enterprises".
The official Request for Input (RFI) is part of a broader play by the Biden Administration to develop national multi-family housing policies regarding affordability, tenants bill of rights and other issues.
The FHFA said the RFI will assist in exploring possible ways that the Enterprises could advance their mission. Specifically, the RFI will:
- Collect information that highlights tenants’ experiences and stakeholders’ perspectives; and
- Solicit ideas for improved data collection to better quantify the size and scope of the issues identified by tenants.
“The Enterprises have a responsibility to not only ensure liquidity is available for affordable rental housing, but also to address challenges faced by tenants and property owners in the multifamily housing market,” Director Sandra L. Thompson said in a statement. “FHFA is seeking public input to help identify these challenges nationwide, particularly in underserved communities.”
FHFA said it is inviting interested parties to provide written input, feedback, and information on all aspects of this RFI by July 31, 2023. Comments may be submitted via FHFA’s website (select “Tenant Protections” from the “Select a Topic” menu) or mailed to the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Multifamily Analytics and Policy, 400 7th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20219.