Walker and Dunlop, Inc., one of the largest providers of capital to the multifamily industry and the largest Fannie Mae DUS lender in 2019, commented on the Federal Housing Finance Agency's (FHFA) recent announcement of the 2021 multifamily lending caps for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, according to a press release.

The FHFA announcement allows the GSEs to lend up to $70 billion each in 2021, for a total opportunity of $140 billion, with at least 50 percent of lending to be designated as affordable.

“At a time when millions of Americans are protecting themselves from the pandemic in the shelter of their homes, it is encouraging to see the FHFA establish 2021 multifamily lending caps of $140 billion for the GSEs,” Walker and Dunlop Chairman and CEO Willy Walker said in the release.. “As landlords across the country work diligently to keep renters with financial hardship in their homes, we are pleased to see FHFA establish lending levels for the GSEs that will continue to ensure adequate liquidity throughout the coming year.

“Of note in the 2021 lending cap announcement from the FHFA was raising the percentage of affordable lending that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must do from 37.5 percent to 50 percent,” Walker added. “Walker and Dunlop is keenly focused on the affordable housing space, having lent over $17 billion over the past three years with the GSEs on affordable properties, and we see this increased focus by FHFA as positive for the market and our business.”