Small Business

In the First Year, President Trump’s Tariffs Have Cost Small-Business Importers $306,000 on Average

New state-by-state analysis finds that the Trump administration’s trade policies are a hefty tax on small businesses, the backbone of America’s workforce.

A Costly Lump of Coal: How Trump’s Tariffs Are Taxing Main Street This Holiday Season

Small-business owners are in for an unhappy New Year, facing about $25,000 more in monthly tariff costs since Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcement.

7 Ways the Big Beautiful Bill Cuts Taxes for the Rich

Overall, the Big Beautiful Bill will harm poor Americans and raise the incomes of rich Americans—driving gains for the rich through cuts to marginal tax rates and the estate tax, along with tax breaks for businesses, business owners, and investors.

8 Ways Trump’s Turbulence Tax Is Costing the Economy

President Trump’s erratic tariffs and other policies are already affecting consumers’ cost of living and costing businesses real money.

Fighting for the American Dream

Creating and safeguarding an inclusive economy for the Black middle class.

Crushing the Commonwealth: Virginians Share How the Trump Administration’s Policies Are Hurting Them, Their Livelihoods, and the Virginia Economy

Please join the Center for American Progress for the next in a series of virtual events highlighting the impact that DOGE's cuts are having on the lives of everyday Americans; this event will focus on the Trump administration's impacts on Virginia.

State Estimates of Increases in Homeowner and Small-Business Borrowing Costs Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

The “big, beautiful bill” passed by House Republicans in reconciliation is expected to significantly increase U.S. government debt, driving up interest rates for borrowers—including families taking out a mortgage or people growing their own businesses.

Mayhem on Main Street: Trump’s Attacks on Small Business Break the Back of Local Economies

Please join the Center for American Progress, in partnership with Small Business Majority, for the next in a series of virtual events highlighting the impact that DOGE’s cuts are having on the lives of everyday Americans; this event will focus on how cuts to assistance programs, along with uncertainty and economic pressure imposed by President Trump’s tariffs, are harming the backbone of America’s economy: small businesses.

Cutting Deep Abroad and at Home: Slashing Foreign Assistance Causes Worldwide Harm

Please join the Center for American Progress for the next in a series of virtual events highlighting the impact that DOGE’s cuts are having on the lives of everyday Americans; this event will focus on how cuts to foreign assistance will not only affect those abroad who depend on aid, but also farmers and small businesses here at home who rely on foreign assistance grants.

DOGE Takes a Chainsaw to the Services That Small Businesses Need

Trump administration slashes important federal services for small businesses amid tariff uncertainty.

100 Days of the Trump Administration’s Foreign Policy: Global Chaos, American Weakness, and Human Suffering

In only 100 days, the Trump administration has wrought chaos around the world and weakened the United States’ place in it—leaving the American people and billions of others worldwide to pay the price.

How the Trump Administration’s Economic and Public Health Policies Are Driving Up Egg Prices

The Trump administration’s mishandling of the avian flu outbreak is raising prices for businesses and families.

America’s Small Businesses Need a National Paid Leave Program

Guaranteeing paid leave levels the playing field for small businesses and supports a competitive, entrepreneurial economy.

Entrepreneurship, Startups, and Business Formation Are Booming Across the U.S.

Applications for new businesses, the number of startups, and the total number of businesses have skyrocketed across U.S. states and counties since 2021.

Despite Barriers, DACA Entrepreneurs Contribute To Their Communities

DACA has empowered its recipients to pursue entrepreneurship and continue helping their families, their communities, and the U.S. economy in the face of significant barriers.

Understanding the Self-Employed in the United States

This fact sheet explores the size, demographics, and key features of the self-employed population in the United States.

California Bill Would Limit Political Spending by Foreign-Influenced U.S. Corporations

Michael Sozan, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, filed written testimony before the California State Assembly in support of A.B. 83, a bill that would limit political spending by U.S. corporations with appreciable foreign ownership.

Empowering Entrepreneurs: Removing Barriers to Capital Access for Small Businesses

Alexandra Thornton testified before the the U.S. House Financial Services Committee Subcommittee on Capital Markets to discuss capital access for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Recover, Rebuild, Reform: Stories of Americans Affected by the American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act

This CAP Action collection features stories from people in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and New Hampshire whose lives have been improved by the legislation passed during the Biden administration’s first two years.

The Economic Realities of Child Care

Child care often is treated like a private family issue, but lack of access has cascading negative impacts on child care providers, small-business owners, and broader communities.

The American Rescue Plan Shored Up Child Care, But a Long-Term Solution Is Necessary

The American Rescue Plan provided much-needed funding to protect the child care sector from collapse, but long-term investments are critical to achieve lasting infrastructural change.

Disability-Forward Policy Recommendations To Advance Accessible and Affordable Housing for All

The federal government should enact the following policy recommendations to increase affordable, accessible, and inclusive housing for all—especially people with disabilities.

Small Businesses Get a Boost From a $15 Minimum Wage

Raising the minimum wage is a win for workers and small businesses.

Trump’s Plan To Defund Social Security

Permanently terminating the employee payroll tax along the lines President Trump has proposed would empty Social Security’s trust fund by 2026 or earlier.

5 Ways the Trump Administration’s Policy Failures Compounded the Coronavirus-Induced Economic Crisis

The Trump administration’s failure to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent economic fallout has exacerbated both crises in the United States.

The Economic Fallout of the Coronavirus for People of Color

Occupational segregation, employment discrimination, and exploitation make economic downturns, such as the one created by the COVID-19 pandemic, worse in communities of color by destabilizing jobs, undermining small businesses, and increasing income shocks and unexpected expenses.

How Congress Can Help Small Businesses Weather the Coronavirus Pandemic

Any new funding for the Paycheck Protection Program must provide immediate cash to the smallest businesses in order to protect them from the COVID-19 fallout.

Congress Must Act Now To Keep Renters in Their Homes During and After the Coronavirus Crisis

As millions of workers continue to lose their jobs due to the COVID-19 outbreak, policymakers must take immediate action to ensure that renters have homes in the coming months.

Lessons for the United States From International Economic Responses to the Coronavirus

The international community can offer the United States creative policy solutions as it seeks to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

3 Ways HUD Is Using Regulatory Attacks to Dismantle Fair Housing Protections

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has proposed multiple rules that target housing access for marginalized communities and weaken protections against discrimination.

A Right to Counsel Is a Right to a Fighting Chance

Guaranteeing legal representation for renters facing eviction not only is a highly effective means of keeping renters in their homes, but it also benefits whole communities by preventing homelessness, preserving affordable rental homes, and more.

Racial Disparities in Home Appreciation

Segregation and racial disparities in home appreciation put African Americans at a disadvantage in their ability to build equity and accumulate wealth.

Lack of Housing and Mental Health Disabilities Exacerbate One Another

Understanding the relationship between homelessness and mental health disabilities is key to preventing and ending homelessness for people with mental illness, particularly as housing costs continue to rise.

Homes for All

It is time for the federal government to contribute more aggressively to the U.S. supply of affordable housing, as it did in the past.

The Latest HUD Proposal Would Exacerbate the Housing Insecurity Crisis

By tripling the minimum rent and imposing counterproductive so-called work requirements, the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s proposed legislation would increase economic hardship for households already most at risk of eviction and homelessness.

Big Business Rules American Agriculture—and Congress Doesn’t Seem to Care

Farmers are feeling the substantial consolidation across many agricultural markets, yet the issue is conspicuously absent from the current Farm Bill debate.

5 Features of Successful Housing Finance Reform

A reformed housing finance system should prioritize people at all income levels, including renters, and support liquidity and affordability across the mortgage market.

Work Requirement Proposals Would Kick Struggling Workers When They’re Down

Taking food, shelter, and health care away from jobless workers won’t help them find work.

Recovering from Hurricane Maria Requires an Extensive Federal Response

After weathering two devastating storms, Puerto Rico is still struggling to recover as the federal government fails to provide short-term and long-term relief.

Safe, Strong, and Just Rebuilding After Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria

Disaster aid for hurricane-affected areas should focus on creating long-term resilience to extreme weather and supporting communities with the fewest resources to rebuild.

The ‘Trump Loophole’ Would Benefit Millionaires, Not Small Businesses

President Trump's and House Republicans' proposed "small-business" tax cut would create a new loophole for millionaires—including Wall Street financiers, lobbyists, lawyers, and wealthy business owners like Trump—while doing little or nothing for real small businesses.

A New Missouri Law Creates Steep Hurdles to Discrimination Lawsuits

A new state law will make it harder to hold bosses and landlords—including the bill’s sponsor—accountable for violating civil rights.

The Art of a Devastating Deal for Distressed Communities

Community development, housing, and small-business cuts in Trump’s budget would leave struggling communities even worse off.

8 Ways the Trump Budget Threatens the Health and Safety of American Families

The Trump budget would endanger the health and safety of American families while giving tax cuts to millionaires.

The Trump Budget’s Attack on People with Disabilities

The Trump budget would be particularly damaging for Americans with disabilities.

How the Trump Budget Undermines Economic Security for Working Families

The Trump budget would squeeze working families for the benefit of wealthy elites.

The Trump Budget Neglects Basic Protections and Funds a Deportation Force Instead

The Trump budget would undermine enforcement of civil rights protections and access to justice while funding a policy of mass deportation.

Trump’s ‘Small-Business’ Tax Cut Is Actually a Tax Cut for Trump and Fellow Millionaires

Millionaires receive 68 percent of the benefit from the “Trump loophole”—a $1 trillion tax windfall.

Trump at 100 Days: Case Studies of Trump’s Self-Serving, Special Interest Government

President Trump and those who serve in his administration make policy that benefits themselves and special interest elites like them at the expense of ordinary Americans who placed their faith in him.

The Big Lie that Conservative Policies Are Good for Small Business

This column busts five myths about how business regulation, tax giveaways, competition, and the Affordable Care Act affect small businesses.

The 2008 Housing Crisis

Contrary to conservative arguments, the 2008 housing crisis was caused by unregulated and loosely regulated private financial entities—not the federal government’s support for homeownership.

New Polling Shows that Small Businesses Strongly Support Paid Family and Medical Leave

A majority of small-business owners support a nationally administered paid family and medical leave insurance program.

10 Ways President Trump’s Agenda Will Harm His Supporters in Rural and Small-Town America

Many rural and small-town voters supported President Trump—but his agenda will harm families and the economy in their communities.

5 Things to Watch in President Trump’s Skinny Budget

The impact of President Trump’s budget on working families will depend on the answers to these five questions.

A Plan for Rebuilding America and Investing in Workers and Jobs

The start of the 115th Congress presents an important opportunity to strengthen communities, expand employment, raise wages, and build the infrastructure that will power the U.S. economy in the 21st-century.

Treasury Secretary Nominee Steve Mnuchin’s Bet Against Seniors

The Department of the Treasury requires a trustworthy leader. Based on the record of Financial Freedom, Mnuchin’s reverse mortgage company, it is unclear whether he meets this qualification.

Toward Jobs and Justice

A strong housing foundation is a key component of economic security.

Wealth Inequality Among Asian Americans Greater Than Among Whites

Asian American wealth inequality is greater and rising faster than white wealth inequality.

The United States’ History of Segregated Housing Continues to Limit Affordable Housing

A two-pronged attack is necessary to break down structural barriers that are preventing low-income families from finding affordable housing.

The Role of Midwestern Housing Instability in the 2016 Election

Although the national housing market outlook has improved in recent years, Midwestern voters—and the election results—may have been influenced by negative equity rates, housing instability, and a struggling mortgage market.

Toward a Dignified Retirement for All

With 10,000 Americans turning 65 every day, the nation must put in place policies that ensure dignity and security in old age.

Housing the Extended Family

The housing needs of an increasing number of extended families are not being fully met by the current housing market.

What to Expect from the FDIC’s Unbanked Survey

New data on financial behavior and attitudes will update the state of financial inclusion.

A Progressive Agenda for Inclusive and Diverse Entrepreneurship

Women and people of color face significant structural barriers to starting a small business and have lower rates of business ownership, but progressive policies that expand access to capital and support entrepreneurial education can help overcome these barriers.

Opportunities for Promoting Credit for Affordable Housing in Rural America

The affordable housing challenges facing rural communities demand a careful look at strategies that can boost credit and help rural communities thrive.

Achieving Middle-Class Economic Security Through Raising Wages and Rebuilding Wealth

Declining middle-class economic security is a policy choice. Here is a policy agenda for rebuilding it.

Raising Wages and Rebuilding Wealth

To achieve economic security, middle-class Americans need policies that promote good jobs; a growing, inclusive economy; and affordable child care, higher education, health care, housing, and retirement.

Creating Safe and Healthy Living Environments for Low-Income Families

Given how central homes and communities are to people’s lives, federal and local leaders must work to ensure low-income families live in environments that are conducive to their success.

Protecting Communities on the Road to Recovery

Strong standards are critical to ensure that the Distressed Asset Stabilization Program protects homeowners and neighborhoods still recovering from the housing crisis.

Community Land Trusts

Community land trusts can help lower-income families safely bridge the gap between rental housing and traditional homeownership, with the potential to challenge the conventional housing market and enhance neighborhood stability.

Yet Another Reason Raising the Social Security Retirement Age Is a Terrible Idea

A new study documenting the growing life expectancy gap by income is the latest in a long line of research showing that raising the Social Security retirement age is the wrong approach.

A Secure Retirement Demands Limiting Conflicts of Interest

The U.S. Department of Labor’s final rule on conflicts of interest will protect savers and retirees, as well as improve trust in financial advice.

5 Affordable Housing Objectives the Duty to Serve Rule Could Accomplish in Underserved Areas

A rule recently proposed by the Federal Housing Finance Agency could help facilitate a more affordable and fair housing market.

5 Trends to Watch in Consumer Finance

Expanding opportunity through finance demands attention to demography, technology, and sound public policy.

Improving Americans’ Retirement Outcomes Through the National Savings Plan

Policymakers should take action to expand retirement plan access to the millions of Americans without a workplace retirement plan.

Gutting Financial Regulations Won’t Help Community Banks

Policymakers can take action to boost rural community banks without a broad rollback of consumer financial protections.

Making myRA a More Effective Savings Option

The myRA program simplifies savings and can be strengthened to boost participation and trust.

An Opportunity Agenda for Renters

The United States needs a two-pronged approach to housing policy that supports residential mobility to high opportunity areas and promotes reinvestment in economically impoverished neighborhoods.

Building Financial Security by Overcoming Identification Barriers

For unauthorized immigrants, identification can also be a tool for financial inclusion.

Financial Rollbacks Would Leave Coal in Consumers’ Stockings

Congress should not use a budget deal to roll back financial reforms that protect consumers and the broader economy.

Laying the Groundwork for More Efficient Retirement Savings Incentives

Policymakers should pursue a number of steps at the federal and state levels to make existing savings incentives more effective and address the retirement crisis.

The Uneven Housing Recovery

The negative equity crisis has tended to be concentrated in certain areas of the country, and several counties are still struggling. Policymakers should support concrete steps to help counties that are still far from a full recovery.

Interactive Map: The Uneven Housing Recovery

The negative equity crisis is a dynamic phenomenon that varies in magnitude and impact over time across different geographic areas.

The Inefficiencies of Existing Retirement Savings Incentives

Middle-class Americans face a growing retirement crisis. Existing savings incentives have not been enough to address this problem because of a number of associated inefficiencies.

Why LGBT People Can Still Face Discrimination in Housing

Learn more about why LGBT people can still face discrimination when attempting to buy or rent a home.

Time to Reboot the Housing Market

In the market for home purchase loans, stark disparities remain between people of color and non-Hispanic white homebuyers. Policymakers must seriously consider these disparities as they design programs to make the home mortgage market more equitable.

Infographic: Mobile Banking By the Numbers

Mobile financial tools can help the nearly 10 million households without bank accounts enter the financial mainstream and collectively save billions of dollars in fees.

Why LGBT People Can Still Face Credit Discrimination

Learn more about why LGBT people can still face discrimination when trying to access credit.

The Fiduciary Rule Would Put Savers’ and Retirees’ Best Interests First

Joe Valenti, Director of Consumer Finance, testifies before the U.S. Department of Labor.

Rewarding Tax-Time Savings Through Existing Law

The Internal Revenue Service can make administrative changes to help taxpayers qualify for the Saver’s Credit and boost their retirement savings.

Many Successes in Just a Few Years: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Turns 5

As critics call for deregulation, the CFPB demonstrates America’s need for a financial referee.

Lending for Success

Aligning lending incentives creates better outcomes for banks and borrowers alike.

Do Not Gut Financial Reform in the Name of Helping Small Banks

The banking industry’s claims that policymakers must roll back financial reform to help small banks do not stand up to scrutiny.

Infographic: The Discrimination that Remains Beyond Marriage

Despite our nation’s progress on marriage equality, it remains legal to discriminate against LGBT workers, customers, students, renters, and homebuyers in a majority of states.

The Supreme Court Could Strike Down a Key Provision of Housing Discrimination Law

A ruling against disparate impact analysis would be a blow to the nation’s larger civil rights laws and to some of its most vulnerable populations.

Lease Purchase Failed Before—Can It Work Now?

America’s homeownership rate stands at its lowest point in two decades. If structured right, lease-purchase agreements could potentially offer consumers a path toward homeownership.

Language Access Is a Consumer Protection Issue

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Language Access Plan is a step toward empowering consumers with limited English proficiency to participate fully in the financial marketplace.

The Importance of the Federal Housing Administration in the Housing Market

Julia Gordon, Director of Housing Finance and Policy at the Center for American Progress, testifies before the House Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

Valuing All Our Families

Stable, healthy marriages and relationships can bolster the economic security and well-being of adults and children.

Inequality, Opportunity, and the Housing Market

Julia Gordon, Director of Housing Finance and Policy at the Center for American Progress, recently testified before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development. Her testimony provides recommendations for increasing access to safe and affordable credit.

5 Ways America’s Newest Landlords Can Win the Public’s Trust

Single-family rental companies can build trust by treating tenants fairly and investing in the communities surrounding their rental homes.

The Unequal Mortgage Market Is No Coincidence

The housing industry and Congress need to address the massive disparities that persist in the housing market and the economy based on the color of one’s skin.

As More Households Rent, How Can We Encourage Them to Save?

Drawing on the most successful elements of previous efforts is the key to designing strong and effective renter savings programs.

Is the FHA Distressed Asset Stabilization Program Meeting Its Goals?

On DASP’s two-year anniversary, CAP provides recommendations for how the Federal Housing Administration can better help neighborhoods and homeowners while still saving money for taxpayers.

A Win-Win for an All-In Nation

Improving economic and health outcomes for communities of color has the potential to help combat Social Security’s projected shortfall and improve the economic security of a struggling middle class.

Keep Calm and Muddle Through

As the retirement crisis looms, retirement preparedness—not muddling through—should act as the guiding principle for policymakers.

Social Security Disability Insurance

Social Security Disability Insurance has been a core pillar of our nation’s Social Security system for nearly six decades, offering critical protection when Americans need it most.

Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet Outlines Her Priorities for the Small Business Administration

Increasing Opportunities for All of America’s Entrepreneurs

Can FHFA Save the Mortgage Market?

Tight credit may be keeping many qualified prospective homeowners on the sidelines, but they might be necessary for a full housing recovery. FHFA Director Mel Watt is working to ensure that qualified borrowers in all parts of the country have a shot at sustainable homeownership.

Retirement Security for All: Overcoming Unequal Tax Incentives for Retirement Savings

What Happens When Wall Street Owns the Neighborhood?

Institutional investors have bought hundreds of thousands of single-family homes to rent out, and now, Wall Street firms have created a security that is backed by these homes and supported by their rental incomes.

When Wall Street Buys Main Street

Single-family rental securitization needs to be managed responsibly in order to protect consumer interests.

A Step in the Right Direction on Retirement

President Barack Obama’s MyRA plan is a start, but Congress should do more.

Expanding Access Through Responsible Innovation: The Market Access Fund

The Market Access Fund can help our housing finance system innovate new products and serve all markets.

No Place Like Home

In our efforts to end homelessness, we must continue to provide affordable rental housing and comprehensive support to individuals and families facing poverty.

The Challenges to Homeownership in America

Jim Carr delivers remarks at the HomeFree-USA Conference on October 27, 2013.

Why the Nation’s Housing Market Needs Mel Watt

The Federal Housing Finance Agency needs new leadership to tackle the nation’s most urgent housing challenges and build a lasting housing recovery.

Improving Retirement Savings in Maryland

David Madland discusses a new private-sector retirement-plan type called the Secure, Accessible, Flexible, and Efficient, or SAFE, Retirement Plan before the Maryland Joint Committee on Pensions.

A Guide to Housing Finance Reform

The stakes of housing finance reform are huge. In a set of fact sheets, the CAP housing team explains how to get it right.

Essential Elements of Housing Finance Reform

Julia Gordon, Director of Housing Finance and Policy at the Center for American Progress, testifies before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee about housing finance reform.

Cash for Homes: Policy Implications of an Investor-Led Housing Recovery

Investors can and should be part of our nation’s housing recovery, but there are serious risks associated with leaving neighborhood recovery in the hands of private investors.

Transitioning to a New System for Multifamily Finance

The Mortgage Finance Working Group lays out steps to transform how we fund rental housing.

Why President Obama’s Housing Speech Matters to Young People

Housing finance reform has big implications for Millennials’ lifestyles, financial security, and well-being—which is why it’s time for them to pay attention.

A Comparison of Plans to Reform Our Housing Finance System

The CAP Housing Team presents summaries of 26 plans to reform the U.S. housing finance market.

Rethinking the Federal Housing Administration

Senior Fellow Jim Carr delivers a speech at the American Enterprise Institute.

Corker-Warner Housing Finance Bill an Important Start but Falls Short on Serving America’s Families

On June 25, 2013, Sens. Bob Corker and Mark Warner filed a bill to restructure the government’s role in the housing finance market. In response, CAP and a broad array of housing and civil rights groups sent a letter to the senators explaining how the bill falls short in serving America’s families.

Making the Mortgage Market Work for America’s Families

By supporting core values of access and affordability, the housing-finance system can help provide access to credit, enable families to build wealth, build strong neighborhoods, and support both the local and national economy.

Student-Loan Debt Has a Rippling Negative Effect on the Broader Economy

In comments submitted to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, CAP and Campus Progress identify some of the financial hurdles that student-loan borrowers may face and how these hurdles may affect the future housing market and economy.

Public Proposals for the Future of the Housing Finance System

Senior Fellow Janneke Ratcliffe testifies before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

Protecting Consumers and Preserving Lending Programs

The Center for American Progress Housing team submits comments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on the qualified mortgage rule’s concurrent proposal.

Why Arcane Mortgage Rules Matter for the Middle Class

Housing-finance policy decisions being made in Washington will determine whether working Americans and their children will be able to move into the middle class and achieve economic independence.

Examining the Proper Role of the Federal Housing Administration in Our Mortgage Insurance Market

Julia Gordon, Director of Housing Finance and Policy at the Center for American Progress, testifies before the House Committee on Financial Services.

How the Debt Ceiling Fight Could Derail the Housing Recovery

Failure to raise the debt ceiling could have a significant effect on the U.S. housing market and seriously damage our recovery.

The Housing Market Is Not Only for Homeowners

As we chart the path to housing finance reform in the coming months, we must pursue approaches that create a lasting 21st-century finance system and meet the needs of both renters and homeowners.

Building a New Infrastructure for the Secondary Mortgage Market

CAP’s Mortgage Finance Working Group offers suggestions to the Federal Housing Finance Agency to bring liquidity, stability, transparency, and private capital into the secondary mortgage market and ensure that borrowers have access to safe, sustainable, and affordable mortgage products.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency Shouldn’t Punish Borrowers for State Foreclosure Timelines

Comments from the CAP Housing Team outline how the agency’s plan for state-level guarantee fee pricing is an incorrect solution to elongated foreclosure timelines.

Fact Sheet: The Federal Housing Administration’s 2012 Actuarial Report

Seven key facts about the report and what you need to know about the agency's future.

A Strong Housing Market Is Critical to Our Economic Recovery

Six reasons why lawmakers need to focus on housing to help spur the economy, rather than ignore this key sector and hope for the best.

The Housing Market Is on the Mend, and the Government Deserves Some Credit

The federal government stepped in to support the housing market when it was in free fall, and we’re now starting to see the benefits.

Capital Rules Should Promote Safety and Soundness

Comments from the CAP Housing team, the Mortgage Finance Working Group, and several other leading housing and consumer advocacy organizations outline how capital rules should help promote long-term homeownership.

Video Series: Small Business Voices

The Center for American Progress and the Small Business Majority talk with small business owners about business and economic growth.

The Federal Housing Administration Saved the Housing Market

Without the cash-strapped agency’s help in recent years, the housing crisis and resulting economic downturn would have been much worse.

Strengthening the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Proposed Mortgage Servicing Standards

A comment letter from the Center for American Progress outlines three main ways the bureau can strengthen its proposed standards.

Congress Could Help ‘Quantitative Easing’ Reach Main Street

Three plans to help millions of families take advantage of low interest rates through mortgage refinancing are now before Congress, but Congress is slow to act.

7 Things You Need to Know About Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Fannie and Freddie remain two of the world's largest financial institutions, but most Americans understand very little about the two mortgage giants.

It’s Time to Talk About Housing

John Griffith, Julia Gordon, and David Sanchez lay out seven essential questions the presidential candidates need to answer on housing.

Interactive: Comparing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Reform Plans

John Griffith examines 21 ideas for transitioning the government-sponsored enterprises to a new system of U.S. housing finance.

The $5 Trillion Question: What Should We Do with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?

John Griffith reviews the role Fannie and Freddie play in the housing market and why we need to transition to a new system of housing finance that includes less government support.

Time to Make an Offer FHFA Can’t Refuse

The agency stands in the way of principal reductions by mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but the Treasury Department can fix that, writes John Griffith.

Reducing Mortgage Principal Is Not a ‘Moral’ Issue

John Griffith considers whether reducing mortgage principal is a moral issue.

Hard Times: Lost on Long Island

A Reel Progress Screening

Investor Interest Shouldn’t Derail Rehab-to-Rent Pilot

Alon Cohen explains that selling Fannie Mae’s foreclosed properties individually is risky while selling the properties in bulk ensures these foreclosed properties provide affordable, stable rental housing.

Scoring of Fannie Mae’s ‘Rehab-to-Rent’ Pilots Gets Better

Alon Cohen updates CAP’s scorecard for Fannie Mae’s pilot program to convert foreclosed homes to rental properties.

Joint Ventures Will Strengthen Rehab-to-Rent Housing Pilot

Alon Cohen explains how joint ventures with community organizations will benefit Fannie Mae’s pilot program to rehabilitate its foreclosed homes to create more rental housing.

Paving the Path to a More Responsible System of Housing Finance

CAP’s Mortgage Finance Working Group provides comments on the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s draft strategic plan.

International Mortgage Finance 101

David Min explains that all of the world’s advanced countries provide significant levels of government guarantees to their housing finance systems.

Bipartisan Bill Pushes Shared Appreciation Principal Reductions

Congress can save taxpayer dollars while giving underwater borrowers a fighting chance of staying in their homes, writes John Griffith.

The FHA Is on Board With Principal Reduction

John Griffith argues that with most of the mortgage industry embracing principal reduction as a way to help troubled homeowners, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should follow suit.

Time to Ramp Up Refinancing

New legislation would help more homeowners refinance through the Home Affordable Refinance Program, writes John Griffith.

How Governments Around the World Help Homeowners Enter and Remain in the Middle Class

David Min counters the conservative claim that many governments worldwide don’t provide guarantees for mortgage finance.

Tossing a Lifeline to Underwater Homeowners

Congress can step up and help the more than 3 million homeowners that cannot refinance their mortgages to today’s low rates, writes John Griffith.

The Global Importance of Government Guarantees in Mortgage Finance

David Min details the several ways the U.S. government guarantee on residential mortgages works and then compares those processes with the very different but equally important government role in guaranteeing home mortgages across Europe.

Turning the Tide: Preventing More Foreclosures and Holding Wrong-Doers Accountable

John Griffith testifies before the the U.S. House of Representatives Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Retrofitting Foreclosed Homes: A Matter of Public Trust

Bracken Hendricks and Adam James argue that the Federal Housing Finance Agency should capitalize on the rehab-to-rent process to promote more energy-efficient housing for renters and boost the long-term value of these properties for U.S. taxpayers.

Inching Toward Principal Write-Downs at Fannie and Freddie

New data from the firms’ regulator confirms that principal reductions can be good business practice, write John Griffith and Daniel Molitor.

Give the Rehab-to-Rent Pilot Program in California a Chance

Alon Cohen explains why California representatives in Congress are wrong to prematurely condemn what is designed to be a pilot program.

Latinos Bearing the Brunt of the Foreclosure Crisis

Jennifer Rokosa argues that principal reduction for homeowners facing foreclosure through no fault of their own deserve assistance from the federal government.

Homeowner Refinancing Would Kick-Start the Economy

David Abromowitz and Steve Fischman explain why homeowner refinancings would boost economic recovery.

Sharing the Pain and Gain in the Housing Market

John Griffith and Jordan Eizenga explain why Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency should embrace a targeted principal-reduction program for certain deeply underwater loans it owns or guarantees.

Ryan Budget Is a Fatal Blow to the Housing Market

David Min and John Griffith argue that the House Republican budget would remove government support to the mortgage market at a critical time.

Scoring Fannie Mae’s ‘Rehab-to-Rent’ Pilots

The program is off to a promising start, but Alon Cohen and John Griffith are keeping an eye on affordable housing and responsible oversight.

Don’t Let the Talk of the Coming Foreclosure Flood Distract You from the Recovery

Alon Cohen questions talk of a short-term rise in foreclosures due to a settlement with mortgage servicers and says this settlement could in reality prevent more foreclosures from happening.

Take a Load Off, Fannie: A Bold Plan to Boost Housing

David Abromowitz and John Griffith discuss the benefits of principal reduction for homeowners and lenders alike.

Cause and Effect

David Min examines the allegations of the Securities and Exchange Commission's lawsuit against Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

A House America Bond for State Housing Finance Agencies

Jordan Eizenga introduces House American Bonds as an example of how to resolve funding issues for the housing finance agencies that support affordable housing.

The Importance of a Homeowner Bill of Rights

Peter Swire and Jordan Eizenga detail how proposed rules for increased transparency in the servicing of mortgages will benefit all involved.

Understanding the New Mortgage Foreclosure Settlement

David Min and Alon Cohen parse today’s announcement to see how it helps homeowners and housing markets while holding lenders accountable for the housing crisis.

The Ramp Begins for ‘Rehab-to-Rent’

Fannie Mae’s new pilot program with its portfolio of foreclosed properties is a step in the right direction, but policymakers must tread lightly, caution John Griffith, Alon Cohen, and Jordan Eizenga.

Rewarding Homeowners for Good Behavior

President Obama has renewed his commitment to struggling homeowners. It’s time for Congress and federal regulators to do the same, write John Griffith, Janneke Ratcliffe, and David Abromowitz.

Getting to the Bottom of the Housing Crisis

CAP’s housing experts detail how President Obama’s new mortgage crisis working group can bring order and justice to our housing finance system and help rebuild our economy.

Big Ideas for Small Business

Congress should raise the U.S. Export-Import Bank’s statutory cap, expand outreach, and increase access to public capital for small businesses, argues Sabina Dewan.

Rehab-to-Rent Can Help Hard-Hit Communities and Our Economy

Alon Cohen, Jordan Eizenga, John Griffith, Bracken Hendricks, and Adam James lay out a plan for removing a portion of government-owned foreclosed properties from the glutted for-sale market by converting them to affordable rental units.

Big Ideas for Small Business: BusinessUSA

Kristina Costa explains how BusinessUSA can pull together hard-to-find, useful information on the dozens of government programs designed to help small-business owners.

Big Ideas for Small Business

Three improvements to the federal health department’s online insurance-finder tool will make it easier for small businesses to take advantage of the Affordable Care Act, writes Emily Oshima.

Mortgage Mediation Wins Another Supporter

Alon Cohen examines the reasons why we need to act on the new recommendations.

Time to Get Serious About the Housing Market

John Griffith applauds the Federal Reserve for urging policymakers to do more to help the housing market, and calls for the Obama administration, Congress, and federal regulators to act on the advice.

Big Ideas for Small Business: Getting Good Technology out of the Lab and into the Marketplace

Helping universities invest in good ideas also helps small businesses, write Ed Paisley and Sean Pool.

Big Ideas for Small Business: The CDFI Bond Guarantee Program

Jordan Eizenga explains why the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program would be good for small business.

Consumers Matter in Mortgage-Servicing Compensation Decision

The consumer perspective must be front and center in FHFA decisions about mortgage-servicing compensation after the robo-signing scandal, write Peter Swire and Jordan Eizenga.

How “Occupy Our Homes” Speaks to Communities of Color

John Griffith, Jasmin Jones, and Sophia Kerby discuss how the "Occupy Our Homes" movement relates to communities of color.

Big Ideas for Small Business: Target Government Assistance Toward Innovative Startups

Small startup companies are proven job creators, yet current government assistance doesn’t reach them effectively and efficiently, write Ed Paisley and Sean Pool.

Too Early to Sound the FHA Alarm

FHA’s immediate financial future is inextricably linked to the health of the housing sector—and the economy as a whole—in the coming years, write Sarah Rosen Wartell and John Griffith.

Big Ideas for Small Business: The American Jobs Act

Heather Boushey details why President Obama’s jobs legislation would help small businesses in ways that enjoyed bipartisan support not too long ago.

Perspectives on the Health of the FHA Single-Family Insurance Fund

Sarah Rosen Wartell testifies before the House Committee on Financial Services about the financial status of the Federal Housing Administration’s Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund.

Big Ideas for Small Business: A Regional Jobs Accelerator

Coordinating existing federal programs to better focus on small businesses and the communities they serve is a great way to create jobs and spur innovation, writes Jennifer Erickson.

Housing Refinancing Reforms Still Needed

HARP changes are welcome, but more can be done to help struggling homeowners, write Sarah Rosen Wartell and Jordan Eizenga.

Filling the Financing Gap in the Housing Market

There’s no evidence the private sector is ready to fill gaps in the mortgage market as claimed by some conservatives, write Mark Willis, Janneke Ratcliffe, and John Griffith.

Big Ideas for Small Business: Short-Term Subsidies to Boost Hiring at Small Businesses

Stephen Steigleder makes the case for subsidized-employment programs for long-term unemployed workers.

Big Ideas for Small Business: A Common Application for Federal Programs

Sean Pool makes the case for a federal common app that eliminates redundancy, increases accessibility, exploits latent synergy, and creates better avenues for small businesses seeking a hand up.

Why Treasury Should Extend the New Issue Bond Program

Jordan Eizenga maps out why the Obama administration program is a success that needs another year extension to help our housing market.

The Private Mortgage Market Investment Act

CAP Senior Fellow Janneke Ratcliffe testifies before the House Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises.

Refinancing At-Risk Homeowners

Sarah Wartell, David Min, and Jordan Eizenga analyze the proposed changes to the Home Affordable Refinancing Program.

Rehabilitate to Rent

David Abromowitz and John Griffith explain why ramping up the pace of rehab-to-rent would benefit the economy.

Renting Our Way Out of the Foreclosure Glut

The Center for American Progress presents a way to help our housing markets and American taxpayers through a “rehab-to-rent” program on foreclosed homes.

Renting Our Way Past the Home Foreclosure Crisis

Renting out government-owned foreclosed properties will create jobs, generate revenue, and expand affordable housing, argue David Min, Jordan Eizenga, and John Griffith.

The Need for Consumer Protection Laws for Homeowners

Peter Swire explains to a congressional committee how he ran afoul of a mortgage services company that mistakenly thought he’d canceled his flood insurance.

Effective National Mortgage Servicing Standards Are Essential

Peter Swire explains that, in the absence of market discipline on servicers, an effective national set of mortgage standards is essential.

Putting People Back to Work Through Rehabbing and Renting Foreclosures

Alon Cohen and Jordan Eizenga detail an exciting proposal to help stabilize the housing market while boosting employment.

A Strong Housing System Relies on a Solid Foundation

David Min outlines key principles of mortgage finance reform and examines different approaches to executing this reform.

Why Wallison Is Wrong About the Genesis of the U.S. Housing Crisis

David Min reexamines his core criticisms of Peter Wallison’s dissent from the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, and responds to Wallison's latest criticisms.

La inacción del Congreso

Christian E. Weller detalla en La Opinión por qué las tasas de interés hipotecario aumentarían, y las ventas de viviendas, los valores de las viviendas y los trabajos en la construcción se reducirían de manera pronunciada si el Congreso no accede a levantar el límite de deuda.

Federal Debt Freeze Disaster Looming for Housing Market

David Min examines the critical role of federal services that, if frozen, would reverberate through the still-struggling U.S. housing market.

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and FHA: Taxpayer Exposure in the Housing Market

Sarah Rosen Wartell testifies before the House Committee on the Budget on U.S. taxpayer exposure in the housing market.

Housing Market to Economy: “I’ll Stop When You Stop”

Heather Boushey explains in the American Prospect that the housing market can't rebound without a full jobs recovery.

Don’t Raise the Federal Debt Ceiling, Torpedo the U.S. Housing Market

Christian Weller on how hoped-for sales of new and existing houses could be over if conservatives fail to raise the debt ceiling.

New Source of Mortgage Mediation Funds

Alon Cohen notes that more states are adding and expanding these successful programs. Any legal settlement with the nation’s largest lenders and servicers for mortgage servicing fraud should support them.

Qualifying for a Piece of the American Dream

Ellen Seidman explains why the risk-retention rules under Section 941 of the Dodd-Frank Act must embrace broad homeownership goals.

Federal Mortgage Servicing Settlement Scoops States

Alon Cohen explores how the new settlements between mortgage servicers and federal regulators may force state attorneys general to impose fines instead of seeking improved mortgage servicing practices.

A Shutdown Risks Crippling Still-Recovering Housing Markets

David Min explains that every family that owns a home likely would feel the effects if the government closes.

Foreclosure Mediation Going Forward

Alon Cohen explains why Congress should empower states to expand foreclosure mediation programs if it decides to end the Home Affordable Mortgage Program.

Risk Retention Is Only One Part of Needed Housing Finance Reform

Michael Barr discusses the importance of risk retention rules in housing finance reform.

Rulemaking Could Crimp the American Dream: Broad Homeownership on the Line in Washington This Week

Ellen Siedman explains why complex rules governing how much money borrowers need to pony up for a mortgage could spell the end of homeownership dreams for many.

Public Proposals for the Future of the Housing Finance System

CAP Senior Fellow Janneke Ratcliffe testifies before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.

The Perils of Privatizing the U.S. Mortgage Finance System

Report from David Min explains why the increasing conservative calls for complete privatization of our mortgage markets are wrongheaded.

Why the Term ‘Qualified Residential Mortgage’ Matters

Ellen Seidman explains the importance of a new mortgage finance rule to the future prosperity of the middle class and the American Dream.

GSE Reform: Immediate Steps to Protect Taxpayers and End the Bailout

CAP Executive Vice President Sarah R. Wartell testifies before the House Committee on Financial Services.

Faulty Conclusions Based on Shoddy Foundations

David Min debunks Peter Wallison's claim, based on flawed data from Edward Pinto, that the federal affordable housing policies caused the financial crisis.

Talking It Up

Alon Cohen on how all three branches of the federal government can support automatic foreclosure mediation across the country.

Helping All of Our Homeless

Jeff Krehely and Jerome Hunt on how the federal government can more explicitly tackle gay and transgender homelessness.

A Responsible Market for Housing Finance

CAP's Mortgage Finance Working Group offers a comprehensive approach to creating a stable and equitable American housing finance system.

The Latest Mortgage Mediation Lesson

Alon Cohen explains why Maryland’s foreclosure mediation program works, but only if people participate.

What the Fair Credit Reporting Act Should Teach Us About Mortgage Servicing

The Fair Credit Reporting Act provides a model for showing that the rights and needs of consumers should not continue to be ignored in our system for mortgage servicing, writes Peter Swire.

Homeowners Are Consumers, Too

Peter Swire examines possible new consumer protection rules for homeowners who make monthly payments to mortgage servicing companies that could care less about consumer interests.

Stopping Foreclosures amid Mortgage Modifications

Peter Swire examines ways to build on existing rules in the Home Affordable Mortgage Program to better protect homeowners facing foreclosure while negotiating mortgage modifications.

Future of Housing Finance Reform

David Min explains why the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is an essential part of our housing finance system.

Mediation Promotes Justice in Foreclosure

Alon Cohen presents his case for why Vice President Biden's Middle Class Task Force should recommend automatic mortgage mediation as a key solution to the national foreclosure crisis.

The Power of the President

Recommendations to advance progressive change from the Center for American Progress and Senior Fellows, compiled by Sarah Rosen Wartell and with a forward from John Podesta.

Domestic Disservice: Homeless Women Veterans Need More Help

There’s a largely underreported rise in veteran women's homelessness that we need to address, writes Folayemi Agbede.

Walk the Talk

Alon Cohen on why foreclosure mediation is so critical to ending our nation’s housing crisis and putting our economy back on the road to sustained recovery.

Future of Housing Finance Reform

David Min explains why a government role is necessary in mortgage markets in the first of a new weekly series of memos on housing finance reform.

Clearing the Foreclosure Crisis: Foreclosure Mediation Can Reduce Uncertainty

Alon Cohen details why responsible homeowners, lenders, and investors in mortgages can help themselves and the housing markets recover from the foreclosure crisis.

A Responsible Market for Rental Housing Finance

CAP's Mortgage Finance Working Group offers recommendations in this report for the troubled multifamily rental housing market.

Bankers Should Take Personal Responsibility for the Foreclosure Mess

Peter Swire outlines a solution for rebuilding confidence in the housing market by pushing banks to take personal responsibility in certifying mortgages.

The Fix Is Over: Mortgage Foreclosure Scandal Offers New Hope for Homeowners

Embattled homeowners would be able to rescue their mortgages from foreclosure, writes Pat Garofalo, if federal programs worked better with lenders.

Reforming Housing Finance

CAP's Mortgage Finance Working Group offers materials to reform our housing finance system.

True North

Report from David Min provides insight into why Canada didn't see the same, painful housing bubble as the United States and what we can learn from it.

Look Beyond the GSEs in Housing Reform Debate

Wartell on lessons from the mortgage crisis.

Private Mortgage Insurance’s Role in Housing Finance

CAP Action Senior Fellow Janneke Ratcliffe testifies before the House Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises.

Making the Community Reinvestment Act More Effective

Sarah Wartell testifies before the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on making the Community Reinvestment Act a more effective tool to help meet the needs of our communities.

Now We’re Talking

Report from Alon Cohen and Andrew Jakabovics examines current state-based foreclosure mediation programs and offers proposals for how to bring them to scale.

The New Housing Normal for Low-Income Families

The National Housing Trust Fund included in new House legislation could help many families find more stable housing, says Joy Moses.

Lending a Hand to Underwater Homeowners

Andrew Jakabovics testifies before the House Financial Services Committee Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity.

Homeownership Done Right

Report from David Abromowitz and Janneke Ratcliffe explains how successful affordable housing programs can help point the way forward out of the U.S. housing crisis.

A Welcome Foreclosure Plan

Helping homeowners cope with paying on mortgages more costly than their homes is the right way to tackle the foreclosure crisis, writes Andrew Jakabovics.

Housing Finance: What Should the New System Be Able to Do?

CAP Executive Vice President Sarah R. Wartell testifies before the House Committee on Financial Services.

Sustainable Homeownership

Sen. Patrick Leahy and others discuss shared equity homeownership as a new strategy to owning a home.

Infographic: How to Create Green Rental Homes

A graphic look at how to a establish a green rental conversion program.

Slowing Price Declines Are Good News for FHA

Andrew Jakabovics provides analysis of new FFHA house price data and explains variability in local markets over time.

A Path to Homeownership

Report from Rick Jacobus and David M. Abromowitz explains shared equity purchase assistance and how it would help promote homeownership.

An Untapped Source of Green Rental Homes

Andrew Jakabovics examines the details needed to inaugurate a green rental conversion program in communities across our nation.

Fourth and Inches

New mortgage relief guidelines are important steps forward but fall short of the needs of many responsible but beleaguered homeowners, writes Andrew Jakabovics.

Location, Location, Location

Andrew Jakabovics offers analysis of new housing data, saying that it offers mixed answers and the federal government must remain vigilant.

A Responsible Market for Housing Finance

Draft white paper from CAP's Mortgage Finance Working Group on the future of the U.S. secondary market for residential mortgages.

Jobs for Today, Jobs for the Future

Proposals for sustained employment growth and broad-based economic prosperity from John D. Podesta.

One in Seven

David Abromowitz offers recommendations for finally getting ahead of the foreclosure crisis, which is seeing one in seven homeowners default on their loans.

Meeting the Jobs Challenge

Report on how to avoid another jobless—or job-loss—economic recovery.

Modifying Modifications

Treasury should authorize housing counselors to approve HAMP modifications, writes Andrew Jakabovics.

The Future of the Mortgage Market and the Housing Enterprises

CAP Action's Andrew Jakabovics testifies before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on the future of the mortgage market and the housing enterprises.

The Danger of Untargeted Home Buying Credits

David Abromowitz explains why extending untargeted home buying credits misses an opportunity for more effective economic stimulus.

More Money, More Problems

Sam Fulwood writes in The Root about a new CAP study showing that wealthy blacks and Hispanics pay higher interest rates than wealthy whites and Asians.

Unequal Opportunity Lenders?

Report from Andrew Jakabovics and Jeff Chapman shows racial disparities in higher-priced lending among the 14 largest banks and subsidiaries during the housing bubble.

Grading on a Curve

Andrew Jakabovics reviews the first report on the performance of mortgage service companies charged with modifying at-risk home mortgages. There’s reason to be disappointed by some of the biggest players.

Called to the Carpet

Mortgage servicing companies will face tough questions from the Obama administration about the slow pace of mortgage modifications amid rising foreclosures, writes Andrew Jakabovics.

Are Mortgage Companies to Blame for Lack of Foreclosure Progress?

Andrew Jakabovics in the Chicago Sun-Time talks about why some servicers are dragging their feet on loan modifications.

It’s Time We Talked

Andrew Jakabovics and Alon Cohen argue in a report that the federal government has a role to play in expanding mediation programs for those facing foreclosure.