Commissioner Montgomery, leave down payment assistance alone

Saving up for a down payment, even a 3.5% down that FHA often requires, is an insurmountable struggle for a plethora of low-income, hard-working Americans.
But about 150,000 families a year who lack the savings or family help needed to buy a home still have gotten on the ownership path thanks to down payment assistance from a variety of state or federal housing finance agencies — commonly referred to as HFA’s.
Going forward, maybe not.
Last April, Federal Housing Administration Commi