.svg)
On July 8, 2025, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced a historic change: the official inclusion of VantageScore 4.0 into the single-family mortgage underwriting process, adding a prominent source of rental data for lenders. Effective immediately, this policy marks a transformative moment, one that has been decades in the making, and one that we at Esusu have worked tirelessly toward since our founding.
Since 1995, when Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac adopted the Classic FICO® score as the standard for mortgage underwriting, it has played a critical role in helping lenders assess risk and expand access to credit across the country. It’s served our financial system well for decades. But like any system, it was not perfect and requires iteration. Nearly 45 million people—many of them immigrants, renters, young adults, and individuals from underserved communities—remained credit invisible or credit thin. Not because they lacked financial capability or responsibility, but because their histories didn’t fit neatly into the traditional scoring model.
The inclusion of rental data into mortgage underwriting changes that. It represents a profound shift in how we assess creditworthiness, unlocking access to the American Dream for countless families. Just as importantly, it affirms the founding belief behind Esusu: that no matter where you come from, the color of your skin, or your financial identity, it should never determine your opportunities to succeed.
Where Do We Go From Here? The Work Continues
At Esusu, we enthusiastically celebrate this moment but we also know it is not the finish line. Now comes the critical task of implementation. We encourage lenders to adopt VantageScore 4.0 and rental data more broadly, including the retooling of systems and processes to support this shift. This is not a time for complacency. The value of this policy change lies in its swift and holistic adoption across the industry.
No less essential is the need to scale the collection and reporting of rental data. Today, less than 20% of rental payment data is included in the credit system. To change that, we must empower landlords and renters alike to participate in rent reporting. To aid in this pursuit we call on policymakers to continue pushing for supportive legislation, like California’s AB 2747, to accelerate progress nationwide. On our end, we will work collaboratively with bipartisan stakeholders across cities, counties, states, the federal government, and the private sector to integrate rental data into the underwriting process at scale.
A Vision Realized… And a New Chapter Begins
The FHFA announcement is more than a regulatory update; it’s the manifestation of our life’s work—to build a more inclusive financial system, one where everyone has the opportunity to build credit, gain financial stability, and create generational wealth. But our mission is far from over. As we enter this next chapter, we remain committed to driving adoption, expanding access, and ensuring that rental data becomes a foundational part of our financial infrastructure.
Onward—with hope, purpose, and an unshakable belief in the promise of the American Dream.
Co-Founders, Esusu Inc