The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is in deep trouble. After tripling the size of its insurance to $1 trillion in the past four years, it's now balancing an extremely leveraged portfolio with a dangerously small cash cushion. Unless the economy makes a swift recovery, the FHA will need a massive taxpayer bailout—between $50 and $100 billion. And if the economy turns down for any reason, even more funds would be needed.

Though its capital position improved slightly over last month, the FHA is still firmly in the red, with a current net worth of –$13.45 billion. Particularly alarming is the growth of the Ginnie/USDA division, which has a higher default rate than the FHA.

Few recognize just how troubled this government agency really is. When measured against the accounting system used by private mortgage insurers, the FHA is deeply insolvent, with a capital shortfall of tens of billions of dollars. If it were a private firm, state regulators would immediately shut it down. 

At this AEI event, Wharton professor Joseph Gyourko discusses the implications of his research on the Federal Housing Administration. Edward Pinto, AEI scholar and housing finance expert, will respond.

The alarm bells are now ringing for the Federal Housing Administration, with delinquencies increasing.  The immediate and pressing issue is the safety and soundness of FHA today and the risk it poses to the taxpayer.  

The Federal Housing Administration is supposed to support low-income housing without costing taxpayers a dime. Today, the FHA is subsidizing middle and upper-middle income homes - and setting itself up for a huge taxpayer bailout. 

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has said that the administration wants to bring private capital back to the housing finance market. But without reopening Dodd-Frank and reigning in the Federal Housing Administrations (FHA), winding down government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will not be enough to allow the private market to return

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) uses lax accounting standards that obscure the fact that it is deeply insolvent, with a looming shortfall of tens of billions of dollars that American taxpayers will have to make up.