Fannie

Last month, Chu and Sherman also asked the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which regulates mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to allow mortgage lenders to grant forbearances of up to two years, in six-month increments, after natural disasters.

Bob Simpson, a former executive at mortgage giant Fannie Mae, selected Johnson for an advisory board on a national nonprofit that aims to increase private capital for affordable housing.

Fannie Mae economists see an uptick in nominal wage growth this year, which should boost homebuyers’ ability to afford their first home in the longer term.

Fannie Mae's Economic and Strategic Research group provided a more cautious outlook in its December report.

“From an affordability perspective, we think 2025 will look a lot like 2024, with mortgage rates above 6%, home price growth easing from recent highs but staying positive, and supply remaining below pre-pandemic levels,” Mark Palim, Fannie Mae senior vice president and chief economist, said in the report.