Trump Initiates $200 Billion MBS Purchase Plan to Address Housing Affordability Crisis

According to ChainCatcher, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a $200 billion mortgage-backed securities (MBS) purchase plan aimed at reducing mortgage rates and alleviating the housing affordability crisis. This move is seen as Trump's direct intervention in the housing market, separate from the Federal Reserve's interest rate cuts, and is described as his personal version of quantitative easing (QE). Trump stated on Truth Social that he has "instructed representatives to purchase $200 billion worth of mortgage bonds" to lower mortgage rates and monthly payments, thereby enhancing home-buying capacity. He attributed the current housing crisis to the Biden administration. Bill Pulte, Director of the U.S. Housing Finance Agency, confirmed to the Financial Times that the plan will be executed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac without requiring congressional approval. Under existing agreements, these institutions have approximately $200 billion in operational capacity for mortgage investments. Analysts note that this initiative closely resembles the Federal Reserve's policy of purchasing MBS to stabilize the market following the 2008 financial crisis. Despite the Federal Reserve's cumulative interest rate cuts totaling 75 basis points, the current 30-year fixed mortgage rate in the U.S. remains high at 6.16%, keeping housing costs a central political and economic issue. Amid rising inflation and living costs, Trump's action is viewed as an attempt to directly influence the housing and financial markets through executive power to boost voter confidence.