Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) announced today the committee will hold a hearing on March 2 to begin the process of considering the future of housing finance. The hearing will focus on all the private and public entities that support the mortgage market, which include the Federal Housing Administration, Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Federal Home Loan Banks, and private lenders and securitizers. It is the first step in a legislative process to determine the future of housing finance and the federal government’s role in responsible homeownership and the supply of affordable rental housing. Chairman Frank has invited Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan to present the Administration’s perspective, as well as representatives of the advocacy community, academia, and industry to present their ideas on the future of housing finance. Witnesses will be announced at a later date. Read more…