Banking on Connections

In recognition of FHLBank Week, host David Feldhaus sits down with FHLBank Chicago President and CEO Michael Ericson and Board Chair Michelle Gross to discuss the enduring mission of the Federal Home Loan Bank System.

Together, they explore how FHLBanks provide reliable liquidity to member financial institutions, support local lending, expand housing opportunities and help communities navigate changing economic conditions. The conversation also examines the System's evolution over more than nine decades, lessons learned from recent market events, efforts to address housing affordability, and how FHLBanks are preparing to meet the future needs of members and the communities they serve.

Artificial intelligence is reshaping financial services, but organizations often struggle with where to begin. In this episode, Garrett Woody, Senior Enterprise Architect and Vice President, and Colton Connor, Vice President and Senior Manager of Data and AI Engineering, discuss how financial institutions can identify meaningful AI opportunities by aligning initiatives with business objectives. They share practical insights on driving adoption, leveraging existing tools, and balancing innovation with thoughtful governance. 

June is National Homeownership Month, and for many prospective homebuyers, the path to homeownership remains challenging. In this episode of Banking on Connections, Angie Ashlaw, Lead Community Investment Operations Specialist, sits down with Jamie Lutton, Manager of Community Outreach and Engagement, to discuss how FHLBank Chicago's Downpayment Plus® (DPP®) programs are helping eligible households overcome down payment and closing cost barriers on the path to homeownership. 

Together, they explore the housing affordability challenges facing households across Illinois and Wisconsin, including rising home prices, limited housing inventory, and increasing upfront costs. You'll also hear perspectives from FHLBank Chicago member institutions about what they're seeing in their communities and how DPP is helping more individuals and families achieve their homeownership goals.

Across Illinois and Wisconsin, the need for affordable housing continues to outpace supply, and for many Habitat for Humanity affiliates, building more homes has become increasingly difficult. In this episode of Banking on Connections, FHLBank Chicago introduces its new Mortgage Partnership Finance® (MPF®) Habitat for Humanity Program and the collaboration behind it.

Moderated by Jamie Lutton, Manager of Community Outreach and Engagement at FHLBank Chicago, the conversation features Patrick Sullivan, Executive Vice President and Group Head of Mortgage Partnership Finance® Program at FHLBank Chicago; Sarah Brachle Wagner, Chief Executive Officer of Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity; and Peter Lewandowski, Chief Executive Officer of Habitat for Humanity of Wisconsin.

Together, they walk through the realities shaping Habitat’s work today, from rising construction and land costs to the challenges of funding homes under a traditional model where capital is tied up over time. The discussion also explores how third-party lending and new approaches to financing are helping affiliates access capital more quickly.

The MPF Habitat for Humanity Program builds on that shift by combining interest rate subsidies, flexible underwriting, and access to the secondary market to create a more consistent, standardized solution. The goal is straightforward: help Habitat affiliates reinvest capital faster, build more homes, and serve more families.

Building affordable housing takes more than funding and land — it takes skilled developers.

In this episode of Banking on Connections, Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago highlights how it is strengthening the affordable housing talent pipeline through its Community First® Developer Program.

In 2025, FHLBank Chicago awarded $5.9 million through the Developer Program to organizations across Illinois and Wisconsin, supporting more than 110 internships and fellowships designed to build real-world development expertise. These grants help nonprofit and mission-driven organizations hire, train, and mentor emerging professionals gaining hands-on experience in project management, predevelopment planning, construction, and financing.

Featuring perspectives from Developer Program grant recipients and their member partners, the episode shows how FHLBank Chicago’s funding is expanding organizational capacity, strengthening local housing ecosystems, and supporting the skilled developers needed to move affordable housing projects forward.

This episode of Banking on Connections features James Hotchkiss discussing the Federal Reserve’s September rate cut and its impact on the economy. The conversation centers on the Fed’s decision to lower the federal funds rate by 25 basis points, signaling a shift in monetary policy as inflation cools and the labor market slows.

Key points include:

• The Fed’s move reduces recession risks and reflects growing concern about the jobs market, with hiring slowing but layoffs remaining low.

• Uncertainty around tariffs and rates continues to affect business investment and consumer sentiment, especially for small businesses.

• The housing market shows regional differences: inventory is high in the South but remains tight in the Midwest and Northeast, with Chicago seeing strong price appreciation.

• The Fed is now prioritizing employment over inflation, willing to let inflation run hotter to support job growth.

• The episode closes with a look at how these changes may affect long-term rates, housing affordability, and consumer confidence as we move through 2025.

On this episode of Banking on Connections, host Stephen Schumacher dives into one of the podcast’s most essential themes—housing—with Patrick Sullivan, Executive Vice President and Group Head of the Mortgage Partnership Finance® (MPF®) Program.

As supply and affordability challenges persist across Illinois and Wisconsin, Patrick shares his unique 360-degree perspective on the housing industry, how the MPF Program has evolved to support housing affordability, and why collaboration among financial institutions, community partners, and housing leaders is key to tackling the challenging housing market.

Tune in and be part of the conversation shaping the future of housing finance. 

Markets are volatile, inflation is steady, and recession fears linger—but where do we really stand halfway through 2025? FHLBank Chicago's in-house Economist James Hotchkiss joins host Stephen Schumacher to break down the data, unpack consumer spending behavior, and explore what it all means for financial institutions. 

Tune in to hear: 

• Why the economy feels stuck in “wait and see” mode 
• What recent retail and labor data suggest about consumer confidence 
• How housing trends differ dramatically across regions 
• What opportunities exist for financial institutions amid economic ambiguity