The Center for Mortgage Access (CMA) announces a new policy research organization dedicated to the role of public mortgage finance in expanding equitable access to homeownership.
Despite playing a central role in the U.S. housing market, government-backed mortgage institutions like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac receive relatively little public attention. These entities—along with the Federal Housing Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Rural Housing Service—support roughly three-quarters of all U.S. home loans. Their guarantees have helped millions of Americans access homeownership, reduce borrowing costs, and shift financial risk from households to institutions better positioned to bear it.
At a time of mounting concern about housing affordability and rising mortgage costs, CMA is the first organization focused exclusively on preserving and strengthening the federal government’s role in mortgage finance.
“There’s a well-established ecosystem of organization engaged in housing advocacy and policy work,” said founder Scott Susin, “but there’s a gap when it comes to protecting and strengthening the institutions that make mortgage credit broadly accessible. CMA aims to fill that gap with research, analysis, and advocacy that helps keep these systems working for the public.”
Scott Susin brings deep experience in housing finance and fair lending. Prior to founding CMA, he served as an economist at the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the primary regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, where he focused on consumer protection and affordable housing. Earlier in his career, he led econometric analysis at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for two of the agency’s largest fair lending settlements, including the then-largest redlining case in U.S. history.
Susin’s research has been published in leading academic journals and cited in national media, handbooks, and textbooks. His work spans the economics of mortgage finance, subsidized housing, discrimination, and local housing markets. His studies have explored appraisal bias, statistical methods for calculating damages and the impacts of subsidized housing on local house prices and employment.
CMA will publish original research and policy analysis, engage with stakeholders across the housing finance system, and advocate for a more inclusive and resilient mortgage market.
To learn more about the Center for Mortgage Access and view its first publications, visit MortgageAccessCenter.com.