Loans made with funds from the Brazilian Savings and Loan System (SBPE) will be limited to properties up to R$1.5m

10/16/2024

Responsible for 68% of the country’s real estate financing, state-run bank Caixa Econômica Federal has announced restrictions for new loan concessions. Financing made with funds from the Brazilian Savings and Loan System (SBPE) will be limited to properties up to R$1.5 million. The client also cannot have another active housing loan with Caixa.

Caixa will now only finance up to 70% of the property’s value through the Constant Amortization System (SAC). In the current model, the percentage is 80%. Under the Amortization Schedule system, the share will drop to 50%, down from 70%. According to the bank, the changes in financing quotas and the limitation on the property value to R$1.5 million do not apply to housing units linked to projects financed by the bank.

Caixa had maintained that the 2024 budget was guaranteed and that challenges would be for 2025, but the above-expected growth of its portfolio made it take measures to prioritize existing resources. With savings experiencing withdrawals and few deposits in recent years, Caixa has long been warning about funding difficulties and trying to enable other sources for the sector. The easiest alternative is the Real Estate Credit Bill (LCI), but it has a higher cost, and the state-owned bank resists passing this on to customers.

In a statement, Caixa said that, considering the observed demand and the housing credit budget approved for 2024, the portfolio will exceed the maximum projected limit for the period. “Thus, we inform that Caixa constantly studies measures aimed at expanding the service of the excess demand for housing financing, including participating in discussions with the market and government, to seek new solutions that allow the expansion of real estate credit in the country, not only by Caixa but also by other market agents.”

Caixa’s CEO, Carlos Vieira, has said that for 2024 the budget was resolved, but that for 2025 there would be challenges if nothing was done to address funding difficulties. At the same time, the bank is gaining more and more market share, which ended up putting pressure on its budget. He said in August that the discussion on significant changes in funding would not take place in 90 days but that there was still time, by the end of the year, to “find ways and build opportunities.”

In July, Caixa’s housing portfolio was R$783.6 billion, with an annual increase of 14.8%. While savings deposits rose by 6% in a year, the capture of credit bills soared 50.1%, to R$185 billion, and already represents almost 30% of the bank’s funding.

Caixa’s vice president of housing, Inês Magalhães, said that there was no “silver bullet” regarding funding and that a set of actions was needed. The bank has asked the Central Bank to reduce the reserve requirements, but the demand has not resonated with the monetary authority. It also seeks a reduction in the minimum term for LCI, which would return to three months.

Among other possible alternatives, but with effects more in the medium and long term, are the development of a secondary market that allows for the securitization and sale of portfolios; and the permission for pension funds to invest in housing. Another option would be an international bond issuance, which could have the hedge part addressed by the EcoInvest program, which the government intends to implement to make this type of application more attractive to international investors.

Caixa had a budget of R$70 billion for contracts this year via the Brazilian Savings and Loan System (SBPE), and R$120 billion for the Workers’ Severance Fund (FGTS), which goes to the Minha Casa, Minha Vida (MCMV) housing program. “Caixa has prioritized the low-income population, with a record budget for FGTS-backed credit. But the funding issue is a problem for the industry as a whole,” said a person with knowledge of the matter.

*By Álvaro Campos, Valor — São Paulo

Source: Valor International

https://valorinternational.globo.com/