Foreclosures in the U.S. housing market are lower today than at any time in the past fifteen years. Initially that statement can be read as good news; after all, fewer foreclosures mean fewer people are falling behind on their mortgage payments. The driver of this good news, however, is actually the declining number of families that are qualifying to get a mortgage to purchase a home. When Congress enacted regulations to shore up the banking system after the 2008 financial crisis, they modified incentives for lenders around the country. By requiring banks to hold greater amounts of cash and to reduce the risk of the loans that they make, Congress inadvertently caused banks to make fewer loans to families with lower credit scores. The direct result of this is that homeownership rates, after reaching all-time highs in 2005, have plummeted to lows not seen since the 1960s. Since real estate prices respond to supply and demand like any other investment, this reduction of willing buyers has dampened the recovery in home prices around the country. This trade-off, between a safer financial system and making home ownership a possibility for all families, is something that Congress will surely need to address in the near future.