Office of Thrift Supervision

OTS to Host Second Annual National Housing Forum

Washington, D.C. — The Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) will hold its Second Annual National Housing Forum (NHF) on December 3, 2007, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The NHF will once again bring together some of the foremost housing and economic experts to discuss and debate the most significant housing finance issues facing our nation.

The NHF will address the outlook for housing markets nationwide, challenges and risks in the home mortgage market, the influence of the capital markets on the housing sector, key consumer protection issues, including the growing problem of foreclosures, and other issues.

“The National Housing Forum will provide a timely opportunity to discuss evolving issues in the housing sector,” noted OTS Director John Reich. “It is important for top leaders in government and industry to discuss these critical issues. We look forward to a robust and lively dialogue on the many questions affecting the national housing market and economy.”

Expected speakers include Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson, Frederick Cannon, Managing Director of Keefe, Bruyette & Woods; Kerry K. Killinger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Washington Mutual, Inc.; Angelo R. Mozilo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Countrywide Financial Corp.; Robert I. Toll, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Toll Brothers Inc.; and Dr. Mark Zandi, Chief Economist and co-founder of Moody’s Economy.com. Other key industry, consumer and community leaders are also expected.

NHF panel moderators will include Maria Bartiromo, anchor at CNBC; Kathleen Hays, anchor at Bloomberg TV; Ronald Insana, Managing Director of Insana Capital Partners; and Barbara A. Rehm, Assistant Managing Editor of American Banker.

The event will be open to members of the news media.

For further information, please contact Claude Rollin at (202) 906-6634.

The Office of Thrift Supervision, an office of the Department of the Treasury, regulates and supervises the nation's thrift industry. OTS's mission is to ensure the safety and soundness of, and compliance with consumer protection laws by, thrift institutions, and to support their role as home mortgage lenders and providers of other community credit and financial services. OTS also oversees the activities and operations of thrift holding companies that own or control thrift institutions. Copies of OTS news releases and other documents are available at the OTS web page at www.ots.treas.gov.

Created: Tuesday, 8/7/2007