Access to affordable and sustainable mortgage credit is a critical consumer concern. CFA has worked to identify and promote responsible approaches to the challenge of rebuilding a durable mortgage finance system for both rental and ownership housing since the collapse of the housing market and the beginning of Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s conservatorship. There are many constituencies whose needs must be met by changes in the current mortgage finance system. These include investors, lenders, securitizers, credit guarantors and enhancers, and banking and finance professionals. But the principal justification for any federal role in mortgage finance policy must be to ensure that everyday Americans continue to be able to enjoy dependable access to sustainable, responsible mortgage products at the lowest possible cost.