In recent years economists and lawmakers have debated the public costs and benefits of the two housing government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs), Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Some critics of the GSEs have even proposed making the GSEs fully private entities. Some parties involved in the debate have...

"Leading economist Josh-Ryan Collins argues that to understand the housing crisis, we must examine the 'doom loop' that exists between private home ownership and a lightly regulated commercial banking system. The only way out is to rethink how we structure our tax and financial systems and...