It’s time for some policy trivia! Question: What has been one of our top policy priorities on access to credit over the past 2 years? Answer: The expiration of the QM patch and the new definition of Qualified Mortgage! Question: What government agency has jurisdiction over defining what loans are considered “Qualifed Mortgage”?Answer: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or CFPB
Read moreI cannot believe it is already September. It’s back to school time, or back to zoom time? Mad respect to all of the parents out there for balancing rock star careers while “staffing” your kids while they sit in front a zoom classroom cross eyed making faces at each other. Dogs barking, kids screaming, life happening: life, work, blurred lines all around. It’s called 2020 damas y caballeros, and this madness is feeling weirdly familiar now. Speaking of which, who can tell me their most embarrassing “zoom school” related story? I could really use the humor right now!
Read moreThe Republican National Convention is happening this week and, as promised, we’re going to cover what the Trump Administration has meant for housing and homeownership. While it is not the same to compare a plan, something that we have no clue will actually get enacted, to actual actions taken by a particular administration, it is still important to understand the different philosophies and priorities of the candidates for President we have before us.
Read moreLet’s get right to the point, the national conventions have officially started. In an effort to put our mission before politics, let’s have some real talk about what our choices for president might mean for housing and homeownership. In the midst of the Democratic National Convention, we’re releasing a summary of the Biden Housing Plan. This is the first of a two-part series. The second will be released during the Republican National Convention where we’ll summarize President Trump’s housing agenda so far.
Read moreBrace yourselves: this election is going to be intense. So far this year we’ve had a global pandemic, a record-setting economic crisis, and a racial reckoning after the killing of George Floyd, creating one of the longest periods of unrest in our nation’s history. Everything is being politicized: from reopening schools to wearing a mask in public. Add to all of this a presidential campaign that is now in full swing and everything is about to get un poco loco. Now more than ever we have to be analytical of the information we consume, be reflective and be united around a common agenda.
Read more¿Cómo andamos? Before we get into this week’s policy discussion, I want to take a moment to recognize a very exciting thing that happened recently. Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve the establishment of a National Museum of the American Latino. I had the privilege of working on a bill that explored this possibility back in 2005 with then Congressman Xavier Becerra. It has been a long time coming, and today we are one step closer that museum being a reality.
Read moreOver the last week, the NAC Regionals and I have sent text messages, emails and Facebook posts urging our NAC (that’s you!) to participate in our current Call to Action campaigns. You might have seen the call your U.S. Representative campaign about credit overlays, or the email your U.S. Senator campaign, asking them to include our priorities in the next stimulus package.
Read moreFirst of all, congratulations for being a part of the inaugural National Advocacy Committee. All of you will always be remembered as the founding members of the NAC. Today, NAHREP stands 100 chapters strong with over 40,000 members. Our task? We need to leverage those numbers and create a powerful, influential, history-making united voice around Latino economic mobility.
Read moreSo I’ve been doing this thing lately with my cookbooks during quarantine. I make the recipe and in the margins of the cookbook I’ll jot down whether or not I liked it along with a note about what happened that day. It can be anything from something historical happening like, “the Supreme Court ruled on DACA today”, or something silly like, “today I got a facemask tan after I spent the day outside.”
Read moreWe are officially HALFWAY through 2020! We need a party for that. Speaking of parties, I want to wish all my beautiful NAHREP familia a happy 4th of July this weekend. While we are all celebrating I implore you to be safe. I read a post on Instagram that said “just because you’re over it, doesn’t mean the virus is over.” I know we’re all frustrated, I know that businesses opening up is making life feel like it’s back to normal, and we so desperately want it to be back to normal. But the reality is, it is not.
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