The World Cup provides a unique diplomatic opportunity for North American co-hosts (US, Canada, Mexico) to overcome deep historical and political frictions. Despite ongoing economic tensions and border disputes, the region maintains profound integration, evidenced by $1 trillion in annual cross-border trade and large trans-national populations. The shared cultural experience of major global events can transcend nationalistic divides, allowing leaders to refocus on common ground. Policymakers should leverage such moments to promote cooperation and build social bridges, mitigating geopolitical disputes that threaten continental stability.
Reform the Federal Home Loan Banks to finance the housing America needs
English Summary
The Brookings report argues that the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) system, which generates billions in profits, has drifted from its original mission and is now primarily serving large financial institutions, exacerbating the severe structural housing deficit in the United States. Evidence shows that while the U.S. faces a shortage of millions of affordable units, the FHLBs' profits are disproportionately paid out as dividends rather than directed toward housing development. The policy implication is a mandate to reform the FHLBs, requiring a significant portion of their profits to fund direct, below-market construction loans for multi-family residential housing, thereby stabilizing the market and providing cheap, abundant finance without new taxpayer costs.
中文摘要
布魯金斯報告指出，聯邦房屋貸款銀行（FHLB）系統產生了數十億美元的利潤，但其業務已偏離了原始使命，目前主要服務於大型金融機構，從而加劇了美國嚴重的結構性住房短缺。證據顯示，儘管美國面臨數百萬單位可負擔住房的短缺，但FHLB的利潤卻不成比例地以股息形式支付，而非投入住房開發。因此，政策建議是強制要求改革FHLB，規定其利潤必須撥出一部分，用於資助多戶住宅的、低於市場價格的建設貸款，藉此穩定市場，並在不增加納稅人成本的情況下提供廉價且充足的資金。
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