Build Back Better Homes

The document argues that the US housing stock requires significant performance and health improvements, particularly for low-to-moderate-income households and communities of color. It suggests that the mortgage industry can bridge the gap between investor demand for ESG securities and the lack of market-ready green investments by streamlining green mortgage products. Specifically, it claims that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could generate over $2 trillion in green mortgage-backed securities within ten years.

• A significant portion of US housing requires improvements for safety, health, and performance, a need expected to grow over the next decade due to climate policy, weather events, and utility model shifts, particularly affecting communities of color and low- to moderate-income households.
• There is a mismatch in capital markets where investors seek ESG and 'green' securities, but there are insufficient market-ready investments; the mortgage industry is positioned to resolve this by using mortgages as a vehicle for green home improvements.
• By streamlining and scaling existing green mortgage products, the government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have the potential to create a market for green mortgage-backed securities exceeding $2 trillion within ten years.

APA

RMI (2021). Build Back Better Homes. https://rmi.org/resources/build-back-better-homes/

Chicago

RMI. Build Back Better Homes. 2021. https://rmi.org/resources/build-back-better-homes/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Build Back Better Homes |date=31 March 2021 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/build-back-better-homes/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2021build, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Build Back Better Homes}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2021}, month = mar, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/build-back-better-homes/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }