Treasury Housing Fix Means Juggling Bailout, Economy

The U.S. Treasury Department, hosting a summit tomorrow on how to repair the mortgage-finance system, may get a blunt message from stakeholders in an industry tied to 15 percent of the country’s economy: Don’t screw it up.

The system’s size and complexity mean that a wrong move by the Obama administration could restrict credit, drive down home prices, increase foreclosures and slow the economy, housing advocates and industry participants say. At the same time, some lawmakers say it’s time to close government-controlled loan guarantors and halt limitless bailouts.