Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac limit public housing data releases

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have curtailed the public release of their economic and housing data, prompting questions about the potential impact to the mortgage market that relies on the data, according to reporting by Inman.

Fannie Mae did not release its National Housing Survey in November, marking the first missed publication in more than 15 years. Its last recorded survey in October, based on September 2025 data, indicated that consumer sentiment was weakening.

The survey gauges consumer sentiment on issues like home prices and mortgage rates. And it feeds into Fannie Mae’s Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI), a widely used tool launched in 2010, which has historically been an indicator for home sales trends and housing starts activity.

Freddie Mac has also scaled back its reporting. In February, the company discontinued its economic, housing and mortgage market outlook. Its last forecast, issued Jan. 24, 2025, noted that mortgage rates “remained higher than expected in 2024” and suggested rates could stay elevated into 2025.

While Fannie Mae continues to issue limited economic and housing forecasts, economists from Fannie’s ESR Group have stopped providing commentary. The group’s last public commentary in March warned of slower economic growth due to tariffs and weaker consumer spending, and it projected core inflation at 3.3% for 2025 and 2.2% for 2026.

It has not been determined whether the surveys and forecasts are still being conducted for internal purposes or have been fully discontinued. Inman said that neither Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, nor their federal regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), responded to its requests for comment.

It remains unclear whether forecasts are still being conducted for internal use by Fannie or Freddie executives. The report said that analysts have expressed concern that reduced public reporting may limit their ability to track consumer sentiment and economic trends.