The coalition includes Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The list also has several associations: the National Association of Home Builders, the National Association of Realtors, Mortgage Bankers Association of America, the National Multi Housing Council, the Independent Community Bankers of America, and the Homeownership Alliance are the groups that have combined, saying the $25 million is a minimum.

Shawn Flaherty, a spokeswoman for Freddie Mac, told GlobeSt.com the huge multifamily and residential mortgage company would donate at least $10 million to various charities and agencies that are assisting victims and their families. Flaherty said that Fannie Mae is also donating $10 million. Those numbers could increase because at least Freddie Mac is using its employee, matching gifts program. For this cause, there is no minimum donation, but a maximum employee donation of $10,000. Flaherty said that employees have been giving and the company expects to write a check for a lump sum.

Freddie Mac, which is based in McLean, VA, has at least one employee missing who was in New York for a meeting that morning. Freddie Mac is also re-examining its security measures for its three-building campus on Jones Branch Road here. The company has 4,000 employees, with about 3,000 working locally. The company closed its campus at 11:30 am last Tuesday.

Freddie Mac is also supporting efforts announced by HUD to be lenient on victims that had mortgage loans, Flaherty said. "We will not foreclose on anyone between [last Tuesday] and Sept. 25," said Flaherty, adding that Freddie Mac is working to see if lenders will lower interest rates and not report late payers to credit agencies.

The Mortgage Bankers Association of America also supported the announcement by HUD. Originally targeting FHA-insured mortgages, MBA spokeswoman Tisha Richardson told GlobeSt.com the association is asking all its member lenders to consider the same actions for all types of mortgages, not just FHA-insured loans.

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Housing, Mortgage Finance Industry Pledges $25 million to Terrorist Victims

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