Eight years after the mortgage meltdown, America’s housing system remains broken, serving neither taxpayers nor homeowners properly. Ed DeMarco and Michael Bright have released the first in a four-part series of papers designed to help policymakers end the conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and put our housing finance system on a path that ensures stability. This first paper briefly recaps how the system failed and reminds the reader why reform is necessary. Subsequent publications will outline detailed plans for protecting taxpayers, modernizing housing finance infrastructure, and ensuring sustainable access and affordability for all American households.