Housing Finance Reform: the Role of the PLS Market

I testified on housing finance reform today before Senate Banking. It was a strange experience being in the Hart and Dirksen Senate Office Buildings with the shutdown. The halls were eerily empty. Fortunately, the Senate Banking Committee is continuing to do the people's business.

My testimony focused on the ability of the private label securitization market to support the US housing finance system. Short answer is I'm skeptical that it can support more than a fraction of the market, and even to do that will require significant reforms, particularly focused on the duties and incentives of trustees and servicers.

Yves Smith has a generous and thoughtful write-up of the issue.  My testimony is here.