Mark Calabria joins OMB 

Mark Calabria has joined the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in a role detailed to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) until a permanent director is confirmed. Jonathan McKernan was nominated for the director position last week. Calabria, an established name in the housing industry, previously served as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) under the first Trump administration, chief economist to Vice President Mike Pence, a senior professional staffer for the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and a deputy assistant secretary for regulatory affairs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In his new role, he will reportedly handle a portfolio of tasks related to banking regulations for both the CFPB and FHFA. David Dworkin, NHC’s president and CEO, noted that “Mark Calabria is uniquely qualified for the role and will bring a breadth of experience to the OMB.”  

The CFPB has experienced a tumultuous transition period since President Trump fired the agency’s former director. Calabria has previously signaled that he shares the Trump administration’s vision for downsizing the agency, arguing in favor of reducing the agency’s regulatory costs. 

“I don’t think the CFPB is going away — as much as that would be nice,” Calabria said in an interview. “But I do think you are going to see a difference in the stance, which will matter in the mortgage industry, in terms of enforcement and obligations.” He went on, “Writ large on compliance and regulatory costs, Trump’s CFPB will be considerably lower. Post Dodd-Frank, one of the problems has been that it costs so much more to originate loans. A tremendous amount of that is because of regulatory costs. It’s not like the bad guys get to run wild; you’d still see enforcement.”  

Trump seeks power over independent agencies

President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday centralizing the White House’s oversight power over independent federal agencies. The order directs all federal agencies to submit draft regulations for White House review prior to implementation, including agencies established by Congress as independent and intended to be nonpartisan. Further, it requires federal agencies to form White House liaison offices to consult with the White House on their priorities and strategic plans, with the President setting performance standards. In addition to enforcing these new oversight rules, the directive vests the president and attorney general with the sole abilities to interpret laws for the executive branch.

Notably exempted from the White House’s new draft review power was the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors and Open Market Committee, which manage national monetary policy including the target federal funds rate that has been the chief economic tool to reducing inflation.

This effort to centralize executive power has been championed by President Trump’s Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, who has questioned the constitutionality of independent federal agencies, such as the SEC, the FCC and CFPB, the latter of which Vought has attempted to freeze in his capacity as its acting director.

Congresswoman Bonamici introduces housing agenda

Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) introduced three bills in the U.S. House of Representatives to address housing needs: the Build Housing with Care Act, the Project Turnkey Act, and the START Housing Act. 

The Build Housing with Care Act provides $500 million to construct childcare centers alongside affordable housing developments, with priority given to rural communities or areas considered childcare deserts. The announcement notes that both housing and childcare make up significant portions of household income. The Project Turnkey Act builds on Oregon’s program that provides flexible funding to convert vacant buildings into housing and shelters, including housing for people experiencing homelessness. Finally, the START Housing Act seeks to expand access to transitional housing for those participating in recovery programs for substance abuse or mental health crises.

“I hear compelling stories about the urgent need for more affordable housing from people in every corner of NW Oregon,” said Congresswoman Bonamici. “Housing is essential for people to find stability and reach a brighter future. The housing crisis has many layers of complexity, and it will take all of us working together from multiple angles to solve it. The legislation I’m leading has the potential to quickly increase the amount of affordable housing and the support services people need to succeed.”

Civil rights orgs sue administration over DEI attacks

A group of civil rights organizations filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in response to executive orders directing an end to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives throughout the government and other federally funded programs. The suit, filed by the National Urban League, the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago with a slew of named defendants within the Trump administration, alleges that the orders are intentionally discriminatory and unconstitutional, and further exceed the authority of the President.

“While the president may have his viewpoint, as flawed and discriminatory as it may be, the First Amendment bars him from unduly imposing his viewpoint on federal contractors and grantees so that plaintiffs are forced to either violate their organizational missions or risk losing the federal funding that is vitally necessary, and even sometimes lifesaving, for the communities they serve,” the lawsuit states.

HUD Secretary Scott Turner issued a press release stating that the HUD DOGE Task Force has cancelled $4 million worth of contracts promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion as part of its overall review of contract expenditures. “It is inexcusable the American taxpayer was footing the bill for the promotion of DEI propaganda. Not only was this costing millions of taxpayer dollars but it was also wasting valuable time that should have been used to better serve individuals and families in rural, tribal and urban communities. DEI is dead at HUD,” Turner said.

“Fair housing is a national policy of the U.S. Our nation’s fair housing principles are embedded in the Constitution and civil rights statutes secured by the blood, sweat, tears, and lives of millions of people who fought to make our Declaration of Independence and Constitution real for everyone in this country. The Constitution and our civil rights laws are centered on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. The President cannot undo the Constitution or take away our rights by affixing a signature to an executive order,” said Lisa Rice, President and CEO of NFHA. “The administration’s Executive Orders and OMB funding freeze memorandum have caused chaos, fear, insecurity, dysfunction, and loss of rights. The Administration’s illegal actions put all people in harm’s way, driving up the cost of housing and leaving millions exposed to discrimination, harassment, and retaliation with no structure for protection.”

NHC updates Housing Resource Center

NHC has actively been updating its Housing Resource Center (HRC) to replace dead or archived links from various sources including HUD, CFPB, and Treasury, which were moved or expired due to administration changes. To date, 100 resources have been corrected, ensuring they direct users to the original content. NHC will continue working to identify broken links and additional resources to include on the HRC in order to best serve its membership and maintain seamless access to vital housing information.