The provisions of the ML must be implemented for mortgage applications dated on or after August 28, 2023.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) published Mortgagee Letter (ML) 2023-13, Supplemental Consumer Information Form. The Supplemental Consumer Information Form (SCIF) contains information about the borrower’s language preference, if any, and any homeownership education and housing counseling the borrower may have received. This ML requires lenders to provide prospective forward mortgage borrowers with the SCIF at the time of application, and to submit this information to FHA as part of the lender’s required loan application data submissions. Borrowers may elect to provide their lenders with no information, some information or all the information requested in the SCIF. FHA is adopting the SCIF in recognition of the nation’s growing diverse population and the importance of understanding a borrower’s language preference, as well as mortgage literacy that may have been obtained through housing counseling. For FHA, collecting this information will enable a better aggregate view of language preferences for the borrowers it serves, which in turn will influence its own outreach and education strategies. For lenders, this information can influence their considerations for borrower outreach services they may choose to offer now or in the future. Lenders will be able to use the information collected in the SCIF to identify possible language barriers to help them better understand the borrower’s needs during the homebuying process. The provisions of the ML must be implemented for mortgage applications dated on or after August 28, 2023. 

Source: FHA