The Macroeconomic Effects of Government Asset Purchases: Evidence from Postwar U.S. Housing Credit Policy

Andrew Fieldhouse, Karel Mertens and Morten Ravn

The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2018, vol. 133, issue 3, 1503-1560

Abstract: We document the portfolio activity of federal housing agencies and provide evidence on its impact on mortgage markets and the economy. Through a narrative analysis, we identify historical policy changes leading to expansions or contractions in agency mortgage holdings. Based on those regulatory events that we classify as unrelated to short-run cyclical or credit market shocks, we find that an increase in mortgage purchases by the agencies boosts mortgage lending, in particular refinancing, and lowers mortgage rates. Agency purchases also influence prices in other asset markets, stimulate residential investment, and expand homeownership. We compare these effects to those of conventional monetary policy shocks, and we provide evidence on the interactions between housing credit and monetary policies.

Date: 2018
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Working Paper: The Macroeconomic Effects of Government Asset Purchases: Evidence from Postwar US Housing Credit Policy (2017)
Working Paper: The Macroeconomic Effects of Government Asset Purchases: Evidence from Postwar US Housing Credit Policy (2017)
Working Paper: The macroeconomic effects of Government asset purchases: evidence from postwar US housing credit policy (2017)
Working Paper: The Macroeconomic Effects of Government Asset Purchases: Evidence from Postwar US Housing Credit Policy (2017)
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