The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs removed from a hearing agenda a draft bill that would have allowed veterans two concurrent uses of a VA guarantee entitlement.

The House Committee on Financial Services last week marked up legislation that would devote $322 billion in funding to affordable housing, including for a pilot program to expand small-dollar lending options for homes that cost up to $100,000.

During a recent conference, officials from government agencies spoke about their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and the top challenges facing them next year.

President Biden’s planned nomination of Alanna McCargo to serve as Ginnie Mae president received widespread support from the industry.

The Congressional Budget Office estimate compares to a record 2020 that saw VA guarantees total more than $375 billion.

Refinances made up nearly 50% of the reverse mortgages originated in the second quarter of 2021. Overall volume in the HECM market increased in the first six months compared to the same period a year earlier. (Includes two data charts.)

Ginnie extends certain COVID-related exemptions; VA introduces new API; FHA upgrades its tech platform; FHA to host session for nonprofits that want to bid on distressed properties; FHA announces lender recertification training session; and NAR says student debt dampening homebuying among millennials.

Securitization issuers should carefully monitor and mitigate potential cyberattacks as a way to help preserve the credit quality of a structured finance transaction, S&P said in a recent report.

The Department of Labor is developing a temporary standard that will require employers with 100 or more employees to ensure all workers are vaccinated against COVID or show a negative test at least once a week.

As federal regulators consider ways to oversee how mortgage lenders disclose climate change risk to borrowers, industry participants warned of unintended consequences if the rules aren’t carefully crafted.