Fair Housing & Fair Lending: The Missing Piece in Our Advocacy

By Jovana Campos
August 27, 2026

Hispanic homeownership has grown substantially over the years. From major events such as the 2008 Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic to rising interest rates, inflation, immigration enforcement policies, and persistent qualification barriers. The Hispanic community has shown remarkable resilience and has continued to drive the U.S. housing market forward. In 2025, Hispanic households accounted for 92.6 percent of overall U.S. household formations, making them the single largest force behind housing demand in the country.

But growth has not come easily. As NAHREP has noted in previous reports and blogs, limited access to mortgage credit continues to stand between Hispanic borrowers and homeownership. With Hispanics projected to drive U.S. homeownership growth for years to come, creating a lending system that works for the Hispanic community isn’t just a Hispanic issue; it’s essential to the health of the broader U.S. housing market.

The Importance of Access to Credit

Expanding access to credit, particularly for first-time homebuyers, has been a core pillar of NAHREP’s advocacy. The goal is to expand access to home loans for the Hispanic community.

Latinos represent a disproportionate share of first-time homebuyers, are often self-employed, are more likely to purchase as a multigenerational household, and are more likely to be immigrant buyers, creating a need for loan products and standards that meet borrowers’ needs. This includes expanded loan options, transparent reporting, reduced pricing structures, and modernized underwriting standards.

Guided by these priorities, NAHREP advocates for expanded access to credit each year, including through its annual policy recommendations.

Why Fair Housing and Fair Lending Are Now a Core Policy Priority

When NAHREP released its latest policy priorities, it added Fair Housing and Fair Lending as a standalone focus area for the first time. The goal of this new priority is straightforward: advocate for federal policies that restore and defend strong fair housing and fair lending protections.

This priority reflects the systemic barriers Hispanics face when qualifying for a mortgage. According to the Urban Institute, the denial rate for Hispanic applicants stands at 13 percent compared to 7 percent for non-Hispanic white applicants. Additionally, the Hispanic denial rate has remained virtually unchanged since 2019. That gap has persisted for years, and emerging policies risk widening it further.

Emerging federal policies are now reshaping outcomes in the mortgage market in new ways. Recent federal action, including an executive order directing agencies to consider immigration status as a factor in assessing financial risk, adds a new layer of uncertainty for Hispanic borrowers. This is especially significant for FHA loans and Special Purpose Credit Programs (SPCP), two tools that are heavily used to assist Hispanic households.

This is why NAHREP believes access to credit cannot be addressed on its own. Advancing Hispanic homeownership requires equal opportunity, transparency, and inclusion from the start. Fair housing and fair lending protections are foundational to closing the homeownership and wealth gaps.

NAHREP Responds to CFPB’s Request for Information on Promoting Access to Mortgage Credit

NAHREP’s new policy priority is already translating into action. On August 10, NAHREP submitted formal comments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in response to its request for information on promoting access to mortgage credit. The comments centered on fair housing and fair lending, reinforcing NAHREP’s position that expanding credit access and protecting fair lending principles must go hand in hand.

NAHREP’s recommendations included:

Modernizing TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure (TRID) timing requirements while maintaining existing consumer protections
Translating disclosure forms and consumer guides into Spanish, using clear, plain language that borrowers can actually understand
Tailoring compliance requirements for small banks and credit unions that serve Hispanic communities
Expanding electronic disclosures and digital closing tools to reflect how borrowers engage with the homebuying process today

Take a more in-depth look at the request for information and submitted comments here.

What This Means Moving Forward

Closing the credit gap requires more than expanding who qualifies for a mortgage. It also means rethinking the process from the ground up, so every borrower starts on equal footing. NAHREP will continue to track the CFPB’s response and advocate for policies that expand access while strengthening fair housing and fair lending protections.

So, what can you do right now? Make fair housing and fair lending part of your next advocacy move, and do it with bipartisan intentions. This work only succeeds when it brings people together. Show up to the events. Get in front of elected officials and key stakeholders. And most importantly, talk to your community.

About NAHREP

The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals® (NAHREP®) advocates on behalf of its network of 50,000 real estate professionals and Hispanic homeowners nationwide. NAHREP focuses on national policy issues that are critical to its mission: to advance sustainable Hispanic homeownership. Housing Hub is a blog dedicated to educating the NAHREP network by providing insights on housing policy, understanding key issues shaping our industry, and supporting Hispanic homeownership growth.

NAHREP firmly believes every individual who desires to become a homeowner and can sustain a mortgage should be granted access to a piece of the American Dream. To that end, we are focused on four main priorities: housing affordability, access to credit, industry best practices, and other macroeconomic issues critical to our mission. Visit our website to read more about NAHREP’s policy priorities and to get involved.