This quarterly report provides market participants additional transparency into a sample of the data FHFA receives and reviews on a monthly basis. The report focuses on alignment of prepayment rates, which continues to be important to the success of UMBS and to the efficiency and liquidity of the secondary mortgage market.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA’s) 2021 Report to Congress covers the activities of FHFA and its regulated entities in 2021. The statutorily-required report provides information about the Agency’s 2021 examinations of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac (the Enterprises), the 11 Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks), and the FHLBanks’ Joint Office of Finance. It also describes FHFA’s actions as conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and provides an overview of FHFA’s regulatory activities, research, and publications issued during the year. This report meets all such requirements applicable as of December 31, 2021.

The FHFA stress test is updated each quarter according to objective rules derived from fundamental economic relationships. These rules affect a dynamic adjustment to the severity of the stress test that accounts for current economic conditions, specifically the current level of house prices relative to the ongoing house price cycle. The stress test incorporates different house-price level (HPI) stress paths for each state, thus accounting for the fact that house price cycles can differ significantly from one state or region to another. The severity of the economic stress imposed by the test, as measured by the projected percentage drop in HPI, changes over time for each state corresponding to the deviation of current HPI from its long-run trend. As a result of this design, the FHFA stress test will produce countercyclical economic capital requirements, in that the estimates of potential losses on new mortgage loan originations increase during economic expansions, as current HPI rises above its long-term trend, and decrease during economic contractions, as current HPI falls to or below trend. The dynamic adjustment feature of the stress test allows that it will accommodate any size current house price cycle, even those of greater amplitude than any observed previously. Further, the severity of the stress test is calibrated to produce economic capital requirements that are sufficient, as of the day of origination, to fully capitalize the mortgage assets for the life of those assets.

FHFA is required to monitor and report annually on the Federal Home Loan Banks' support of their low-income housing and community development activities to the Federal Home Loan Banks' Advisory Councils. This report fulfills that requirement. This report addresses the FHLBanks’ activities to support low-income housing and community development. The FHLBanks support a range of these activities through three programs: the statutorily-mandated Affordable Housing Program (AHP), the statutorily-mandated Community Investment Program (CIP), and the voluntary Community Investment Cash Advance Program (CICA). Under these programs, the FHLBanks provide loans (referred to as advances) and grants to their members, and their members then use these funds to assist very low- and low- or moderate-income households and communities. The report also covers FHLBank Community Support Programs, non-depository Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) membership, and FHLBank performance on housing goals.