Real Housing Reform Means Cutting Red Tape, Not Taking Risks With Credit Scoring

I was excited to see Rep. Flood at a recent press conference celebrating the
introduction of the HOME Reform Act of 2025. This bipartisan bill is designed to
increase housing supplies by cutting red tape with the goal of expanding the availability
of affordable homes.
Around the country, and specifically in Nebraska, thoughtful policy like this is important
and can deliver real housing reform for Nebraskans. While we must strive to pass policy
such as Rep. Flood’s, we must also examine the policy that can be detrimental to our
housing market.
As a commercial banker, I am constantly assessing risks to determine whether a client
can repay a loan. To that point, I am deeply concerned with a little-known policy
decision the Federal Housing Finance Agency is considering. The Director of the FHFA,
Bill Pulte, is currently weighing whether to introduce the unproven VantageScore as a
credit scoring model — a policy decision that could have a detrimental impact on our
housing market.
For decades, FICO has been the gold standard for credit scoring. Introducing an
unproven model like VantageScore — especially at a time when interest rates,
construction costs, and supply constraints are already pressuring the market — could
inject uncertainty into an already fragile system. Even small disruptions in how lenders
assess risk can ripple through the entire housing market, making it harder for families to
buy homes and for lenders to confidently extend credit.
I applaud Rep. Flood for championing policies that strengthen our housing market. I
urge federal regulators to show that same care by avoiding policies that could
unintentionally undermine housing stability. Nebraska families deserve reforms that
expand access to homeownership — not experimental changes that could set us back.