refocus on freeingup consumer and small business credit. Specifically, he said, theTroubled Asset Relief Program would not be used to buy up toxicmortgage-backed debt from companies that had invested in thesesecurities.

That particular development was a blow to the commercial real estateindustry, which had been counting on the federal government tomove these securities off of investment banks' balance sheets sothey would begin lending again. The new focus on consumer lending,it seemed, would come at the expense of the commercial real estateindustry.

That was then, though. Yesterday, Paulson revealed new plans forthe remaining funds that had been made available to Treasury tobolster the economy. And true to his words earlier this month, itis focused on consumer lending, with the launch of a $200-billionfacility to support student, auto, and credit card loans and loansbacked by the federal Small Business Administration. However oneCRE subsector--multifamily--also received a new financial boostfrom Treasury and the Federal Reserve Bank. The Federal ReserveBank plans to buy, up to, $100 billion of debt issued by FannieMae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks. It will also buy,up to,$500 billion of mortgage securities backed by Fannie Mae,Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae.