Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia Introduces Bill To Improve Language Accessibility For Mortgage Borrowers

The bill will establish language access requirements for mortgage loan officers and servicing companies so that they may better serve borrowers whose primary language is not English.

Under this legislation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will provide language resources for mortgage lenders and servicing companies to better serve borrowers whose primary language is not English. This bill would also require relevant federal agencies to provide language resources to assist mortgage lenders and servicing companies to better meet the needs of their borrowers.

"Sadly, for far too long, our communities have been left behind. Entire families have experienced the stress and difficulty that language barriers put on their shoulders when buying a home, accessing a loan, or engaging with loan servicing companies,"said Congresswoman Garcia."It is time to make language accessibility the norm and not the exception. H.R. 3009 is a step in that direction, and we will continue pushing this issue and improving the way our families interact with services and companies which deeply affect their lives and their capacity to thrive in our society."

"I'm a firm believer that we should be making it reasonably easier, not harder, for homebuyers to access the American dream. This is why introduced legislation last Congress to reinstate the language preference question on the Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA) to ensure fair and equitable access to home buying for all persons, regardless of their primary language," stated Congressman Al Green (TX-09), Chair of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations."This Congress, I am pleased to support H.R. 3009, the Improving Language Access in Mortgage Servicing Act, offered by my good friend and colleague, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, to ensure equal language access in the mortgage lending and servicing process."

"Avenue wholeheartedly supports this bill which will increase access to housing resources and information for everyone, no matter their language. Providing equitable access to services like forbearance counseling and loan modifications creates more sustainable and successful homeowners and builds family wealth,"said Mary Lawler, Executive Director of Avenue Community Development Corporation.

Find the text of H.R. 3009,Improving Language Access in Mortgage Servicing Act, here.

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Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2018, becoming the first Latina ever to represent the Texas 29th Congressional District. She serves on the House Judiciary and Financial Services Committees.