chapter.
The roots of securitization date back to the 1930s, when Congress established the
Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) as a federal agency to increase the
money available for home mortgages. Initially, Fannie Mae purchased FHA-insured
mortgages and in the process replenished the funds that lenders had on hand to make
home mortgages.7 Thirty years later, Congress spun Fannie Mae off into a governmentsponsored
entity (GSE) and created a new GSE, the Federal Home Mortgage
The Emergence of the Subprime Market
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Corporation (Freddie Mac). Both securitized mortgages and eventually became private
sector companies owned by shareholders. The government exempted the GSEs from
state and local taxes. In exchange, Fannie and Freddie agreed to meet affordable housing
goals set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This public
mission meant that Fannie and Freddie had two masters to serve: their shareholders and
the government.