Deal Reached on California Housing Bond Bill

Aug 29, 2017

The Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) has agreed to a $4.9 billion settlement with the Department of Justice related to the company’s issuance and underwriting of residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) between 2005 and 2007

California’s evaporating affordable housing environment was the focus of an agreement between Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders on a $4 billion bond that would fund low-income housing developments and subsidize residential mortgages for California veterans.

According to a Los Angeles Times report, Senate Bill 3 was originally designed to allocate $3 billion for the construction of new homes for low-income Californians. In the new agreement between the governor and legislators, $1 billion was added to the bill to fund homeownership subsidies for veterans. An existing program to promote homeownership for veterans would have been halted in 2018 due to a lack of funding.

"The bond agreement we have reached provides badly needed funding to help Californians, including our veterans, find safe, affordable housing," Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) said in a statement.

The agreement on Senate Bill 3 comes ahead of negotiations on Senate Bill 2, which adds a $75 fee on mortgage refinancing and other real estate transactions to fund low-income home construction. Both bills will require a two-thirds supermajority approval in both houses of the legislature prior to Sept. 15 in order to pass.

About the author

Phil Hall

Link copied

Published

Aug 29, 2017

Analysis and Data

Jobs Report Comes In Weak After Mortgage Rates Surge

Employers added just 29,000 jobs in September, sending Treasury yields lower and offering a potential counterweight to the recent rise in mortgage rates

The September jobs report gave the mortgage market something it hasn't had much of lately: downward pressure on Treasury yields.U.S. employers added just 29,000 jobs in September, while the unemployment rate edged up to 4.2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The ...

Wholesale

The Loan Store Rebrands As Averra Financial

The wholesale lender is adopting a new identity three years after acquiring Homepoint’s wholesale business and rising to No. 4 in industry rankings

The Loan Store has a new name after a three-year expansion that transformed the once-small wholesale lender into one of the largest players in the broker channel.The Tucson, Arizona-based lender has rebranded as Averra Financial Inc., effective immediately, the company annou...

Nov

Houston, TX

More from

Analysis and Data

Jobs Report Comes In Weak After Mortgage Rates Surge

Employers added just 29,000 jobs in September, sending Treasury yields lower and offering a potential counterweight to the recent rise in mortgage rates

Analysis and Data

Oct 02, 2026

Price Cuts Hit Four-Year High As Mortgage Rates Top 7%

More than one in five listings took a price cut in September, but pending sales still posted their sharpest annual decline since March 2025

Analysis and Data

Oct 01, 2026

Serious Mortgage Delinquencies Rise 19% After Five Months Of Improvement

ICE data shows 574,000 mortgages were at least 90 days past due in August, while early-stage delinquencies remained below year-ago levels

Analysis and Data

Sep 29, 2026

Smaller Down Payments Give Buyers More Room, But Rates Limit The Savings

The typical down payment fell 9% from a year ago, while shifting market conditions are giving originators different affordability conversations across the country

Analysis and Data

Sep 25, 2026

Mortgage Rates Break 7% Just As Builders Find A Way To Move Buyers

New-home sales rose 6.4% in August as builders cut prices, offered incentives, and sold more lower-priced homes. Now mortgage rates are moving against buyers again

Analysis and Data

Sep 25, 2026

Borrowers Want Digital Closings, But Some Originators Remain Hesitant

ServiceLink finds 45% of surveyed LOs cite borrower reluctance as a barrier, even though most recent buyers say digital options would influence their choice of mortgage provider

Tech

Sep 23, 2026

Popular