restrictions eased:

The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, which oversees the government-sponsored companies, said the mandatory cash cushion for Fannie and Freddie -- now nearly $20 billion for the two -- will be reduced by a third under the new plan. The goal is to free-up money to help new home buyers take out loans and to help existing home owners refinance into more affordable mortgages
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The new agreement was the third step the government has taken in recent weeks to allow Washington-based Fannie and McLean, Va.-based Freddie to shoulder larger burdens in the mortgage market despite their multibillion-dollar fourth-quarter losses and expectations of further red ink this year.

I hope others comment on this because it sure looks like a bailout or hiding bad debt to be moved onto the taxpayer eventually.