On May 1, HUD issued Mortgagee Letter 2013-12, which updates and replaces another recently issued letter – 2013-10 – on the FHA’s Lender Insurance Program. The letter explains enhancements to that program, which allows high-performing mortgagees to conduct pre-endorsement reviews and insure loans. Those enhancements were implemented by a January 2012 HUD rule. The letter summarizes changes made by that rule, reviews mortgagee eligibility requirements for participation in the Lender Insurance program, and outlines the initial application process. Among other things, the letter also discusses the conditions under which a mortgagee’s lender insurance authority can be terminated or suspended and explains how mortgages with such authority are subject to a revised indemnification policy.

On April 11, HUD issued Mortgagee Letter 2013-11, which amends prior guidance related to the origination and servicing of FHA-insured loans in declared disaster areas. The letter stresses that prior guidance requiring a moratorium on foreclosures of properties in disaster areas for 90 days applies to the initiation of foreclosures and foreclosures already in process. The letter outlines steps servicers should take to determine the appropriate course of action for each borrower, including a review of individual facts and circumstances to determine whether to offer forbearance and other loss mitigation alternatives. The letter details such loss mitigation options and servicer requirements. The policy changes took effect immediately.

On April 9, HUD issued Mortgagee Letter 2013-10 to explain enhancements to the Lender Insurance program that allows high-performing mortgagees to conduct pre-endorsement reviews and insure loans. Those enhancements were implemented by a January 2012 HUD rule. The letter summarizes changes made by that rule, reviews mortgagee eligibility requirements for participation in the Lender Insurance program, and outlines the initial application process. Among other things, the letter also discusses the conditions under which a mortgagee’s lender insurance authority can be terminated or suspended and explains how mortgages with such authority are subject to a revised indemnification policy.

On April 4, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and HUD officials announced a civil fraud suit alleging FCA and FIRREA claims against a mortgage lender and its president for falsely certifying loans and other actions under the FHA’s Direct Endorsement Lender Program. Many of the allegations mirror those in prior mortgage fraud cases brought by the government, including claims that the lender failed to maintain adequate quality control processes, incentivized employees to expedite loan approval, failed to disclose to HUD all loans containing evidence of fraud or other serious underwriting problems, and made repeated false certifications to HUD. However, this is only the second time the government has brought claims based on the FHA’s annual certification process, as opposed claims based on certifications of individual loans. The complaint also alleges that the firm’s president and owner personally performed underwriting and provided false certifications to HUD in a number of instances. The government’s decision to name an individual also may evidence a new trend in its mortgage fraud enforcement practices. The government claims that to date HUD has paid more than $12 million in insurance claims on loans underwritten by the lender. The complaint does not specify total damages, but does seek more than $40 million in treble damages and penalties on the FCA claims.

On March 12, the Chicago-based Woodstock Institute released research claiming that mortgage lenders discriminate against female applicants. The research is presented in a “fact sheet” and previews a longer report the group plans to publish later this year. The study reviewed 2010 HMDA data on first lien single-family home purchase and refinance mortgage applications in the Chicago area and purports to show that (i) female-headed joint applications are much less likely to be originated than male-headed joint applications and (ii) this disparity holds true across all racial categories and is most pronounced for African American women. The Woodstock Institute further claims that these disparities are more pronounced for refinance loans. Based on its conclusions, the group urges federal regulators and enforcement authorities to conduct further investigation, including through enforcement of HUD’s recently finalized disparate impact rule. It also recommends that the CFPB prioritize enhancing the HMDA rules to make public more information to better identify discriminatory lending practices.

On February 28, HUD launched a mobile application for iPhone and iPad that will allow the public to learn about their housing rights and file housing discrimination complaints.  The application will also inform the housing industry of its responsibilities under the FHA. HUD expects the application to assist fair housing groups and other civil rights advocacy organizations seeking to enforce fair housing rights. Adaptive mobile pages will also allow web content to display properly on all smartphone and tablet brands, and for fair housing complaints to be completed and submitted in Spanish.

On February 8, HUD issued a final rule authorizing so-called “disparate impact” or “effects test” claims under the Fair Housing Act. The rule provides support for private or governmental plaintiffs challenging housing or mortgage lending practices that have a “disparate impact” on protected classes of individuals, even if the practice is facially neutral and non-discriminatory and there is no evidence that the practice was motivated by a discriminatory intent. The rule also will permit practices to be challenged based on claims that the practice improperly creates, increases, reinforces, or perpetuates segregated housing patterns.

In its final rule, HUD codified a three-step burden-shifting approach to determine liability under a disparate impact claim. Once a practice has been shown by the plaintiff to have a disparate impact on a protected class, the final rule states that the defendant would have the burden of showing that the challenged practice “is necessary to achieve one or more substantial, legitimate, nondiscriminatory interests of the respondent . . . or defendant . . . . A legally sufficient justification must be supported by evidence and may not be hypothetical or speculative.” As proposed, the defendant would have had the burden of proving that the challenged practice “has a necessary and manifest relationship to one or more legitimate, nondiscriminatory interests.” Read more…

On February 6, HUD published a proposed rule that would eliminate two regulations in order to streamline the FHA inspection and warranty requirements. HUD proposes to repeal the regulations requiring a FHA-approved inspector to determine the construction quality of homes for which borrowers seek FHA insurance. HUD acknowledges that the market is sufficiently competitive and regulated to provide quality inspectors without FHA approval. HUD also proposes to remove requirements for borrowers to purchase 10-year protection plans to qualify for FHA insurance for high loan-to-value (LTV) mortgages on newly constructed homes. HUD expects the changes to yield savings for lenders and borrowers, and to eliminate related FHA administrative costs. Public comments are due by April 8, 2013. Also on February 6, HUD published in the Federal Register its previously announced proposal to increase the minimum down payment for FHA-insured loans over $625,500 by setting the maximum LTV ratio at 95 percent. HUD proposed this increase because the FHA Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund reported a decline from fiscal year 2011. HUD is accepting comments on the proposal through March 8, 2013.

On January 31, HUD and the FHFA announced that the FHA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac will extend for an additional 90 days protections against foreclosure actions for borrowers whose properties were damaged or destroyed due to Hurricane Sandy. Those protections were set to expire on January 31, 2013. For borrowers in certain counties, FHA is extending until April 30, 2013 its foreclosure moratorium and eviction suspension. Fannie Mae, through Lender Letter LL-2013-02, and Freddie Mac, through Bulletin 2013-1, also are extending their foreclosure and eviction moratoriums through the end of April.

On January 30, HUD announced that for FHA case numbers assigned on or after April 1, 2013, FHA will use a consolidated pricing option for its home equity conversion mortgages, as explained in more detail in Mortgagee Letter 2013-01. Separately, HUD also announced that effective April 1, 2013, the mortgage insurance premiums for most new mortgages will increase by 10 basis points, and by 5 basis points for jumbo mortgages. To further support the stability of the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund, FHA also issued Mortgagee Letter 2013-04 to require most borrowers to continue paying annual premiums for the life of their mortgage loan, reversing a policy adopted in 2001 under which FHA cancelled premium requirements on loans when the outstanding principal balance reached 78 percent of the original principal balance. FHA also will (i) require lenders to manually underwrite loans for which borrowers have a decision credit score below 620 and a total debt-to-income ratio greater than 43 percent, (ii) increase from 3.5 to 5 percent the minimum down payment for jumbo loans, and (iii) increase its enforcement for FHA-approved lenders with regard to aggressive marketing to borrowers with previous foreclosures. Separately, HUD issued Mortgagee Letter 2013-02, which updates the certification language for all late endorsement requests for reverse mortgages. Finally, through Mortgagee Letter 2013-03, HUD extended to March 15, 2013 the date by which lenders must begin to assess borrowers in default under a new loss mitigation priority order and policies, as outlined in Mortgagee Letter 2012-22.

On January 4, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia held that two widowed spouses have standing to pursue allegations that a HUD regulation defining conditions under which it would insure a reverse mortgage agreement contradicted the governing statute, and in doing so made it easier for lenders to foreclose on homes occupied by surviving spouses. Bennett v. Donovan, No. 11-5288, 2013 WL 45879 (D.C. Cir. Jan. 4, 2012). The surviving spouses, neither of whom were legal borrowers under the reverse mortgages entered into by their spouses, sought declaratory relief that HUD’s regulations requiring that the mortgage be due and payable in full if a borrower dies and the property is not the principal residence of at least one surviving borrower violated the Administrative Procedure Act because the rule is inconsistent with the governing statute. The statute protects “homeowners,” as opposed to “borrowers,” from displacement and defines “homeowner” to include “spouse of the homeowner.” The district court held that the spouses lacked standing to sue HUD because relief for their injuries depended solely on the lenders’ decision whether to foreclose. The appellate court held, however, that in situations like those at issue here, it is within HUD’s power to provide complete relief to the lenders and borrowers, and therefore such relief is likely, as opposed to speculative, and as such is sufficient to establish standing. Though it limited its holding to the standing issue, the court added that it was “puzzled” by HUD’s attempt to justify a rule that appears to contradict the governing statute. Further, the court outlined potential relief that HUD could provide, explaining that HUD could accept assignment of the mortgage, pay off the balance of the loans to the lenders, and then decline to foreclose against the spouses. The court reinstated the case and remanded for further proceedings.

On January 2, HUD announced that a lender agreed to settle a claim that it refused to provide FHA financing to a lesbian couple. HUD noted that the agreement is the first enforcement action taken under a rule finalized in January 2012 that aims to provide equal access to housing, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status, including by prohibiting lenders from determining FHA-insured financing eligibility based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The lender denies the allegations, but HUD required the lender to pay $7,500 so the parties could avoid additional costs associated with the administrative proceedings. The agreement also requires the lender to update its fair lending training program to support compliance with the new rule.

On December 30, the Senate confirmed Carol Galante as Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and Federal Housing Administration Commissioner. Ms. Galante, who was nominated for the position in October 2011, has been serving in an acting role. Her confirmation was made possible after certain Senators, including Bob Corker (R-TN), who had expressed concerns about the pace of reforms at the FHA, secured a commitment from Ms. Galante to (i) place a moratorium on the full drawdown reverse mortgage program, (ii) substantially increase underwriting criteria for borrowers with FICO scores between 580 and 620 by establishing a meaningful maximum debt-to-income ratio, (iii) increase the down payment requirement and the insurance pricing for loans between $625,000 and $729,000, and (iv) increase underwriting requirements for borrowers who have been foreclosed upon within the last seven years. On January 1, as described in media reports, the Senate confirmed Joshua Wright as FTC Commissioner and Mignon Clyburn as FCC Commissioner, and also confirmed Richard Berner for the new position of Director of the Treasury Department’s Office of Financial Research.

On December 21, the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) announced that it filed with HUD a housing discrimination complaint against a major insurance company regarding the offering of hazard insurance in a certain geographic area. According to the statement filed in support of its complaint, NFHA alleges that the company refuses to underwrite homeowners’ insurance policies for homes that have flat roofs in the Wilmington, Delaware area, a policy that NFHA charges has a racially disparate impact on African-American and minority communities. Although insurance and insurers are not explicitly covered in the Fair Housing Act, NFHA argues that federal courts have given deference to HUD’s interpretation of the statute, holding that the Fair Housing Act applies to all types of discriminatory insurance practices. NFHA’s complaint is based on its own testing of independent insurance agencies and a single university study of the relationship between roof type and race in the Wilmington area. NFHA claims that its testing of six insurance agencies shows that independent insurance agents were willing to underwrite policies on homes with flat roofs, while agents affiliated only with the insurance company targeted by NFHA cited a company policy that disallowed underwriting policies on such homes. Further, NFHA claims that the university study found a statistically significant relationship between minority populations and homes that have flat roofs, and therefore the “no flat roof policy” disproportionately impacts African-American and minority communities. Moreover, NFHA claims that there is no business justification for such a policy and that the insurance company does not apply the same policy in other cities. Under its fair housing complaint procedures HUD will now conduct its own investigation and determine whether further administrative action is required.

Last month, HUD issued Mortgagee Letter 2012-28, which restates and updates guidance regarding flood zone requirements for FHA-insured mortgages. The letter states that, effective February 9, 2012, (i) FHA will require all mortgagees to obtain a flood zone determination on all properties and to retain evidence that clearly indicates that the flood zone determination service is for the life of the loan, and (ii) properties within a designated Coastal Barrier Resource System unit will not be eligible for an FHA-insured mortgage. The letter attaches a chart demonstrating the Flood Zone Requirements within a given scenario. A second letter, Mortgagee Letter 2012-29, advises supervised lenders of the method by which they should submit their call reports in place of audited financial statements, as permitted by prior HUD guidance.