Welcome to OFHEO’s FOIA Page. We hope this provides helpful information for you about OFHEO and about the Freedom of Information Act. Below is a description of the Act.  You may also find information on OFHEO's FOIA frequently asked questions (FAQs) page and OFHEO's Electronic Reading Room which is organized by subject matter, it also includes other helpful links.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA) REFERENCE GUIDE

This Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Reference Guide is designed to familiarize you with the Act and the procedures for making a FOIA request to the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO). The process is not complicated or time-consuming. In most cases this Reference Guide will provide you with the basic information that you will need to make a FOIA request to OFHEO. Please review instructions on how to submit a FOIA request on FOIA frequently asked questions (FAQs) page.

If you need additional information, you can access and download a copy of the FOIA rule electronically at: /Media/pdf/release.pdf.  You also can request a copy of the FOIA regulation from the FOIA Officer by electronic mail at foia.office@ofheo.gov, by fax at (202)414-8917, by telephone at (202) 414-6425, or by regular mail to the FOIA Officer, Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, 1700 G Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20552.

Accessing OFHEO documents through the Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. § 552) establishes a presumption that records in the possession of agencies and departments of the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government are accessible to the people. The FOIA sets standards for determining which records must be disclosed and which records may be withheld. The FOIA also provides administrative and judicial remedies for those denied access to records. Above all, FOIA requires federal agencies to provide the fullest possible disclosure of information to the public.

While the FOIA supports disclosure of Federal agency records, the law recognizes the legitimate need to restrict disclosure of some information. The FOIA does not grant an absolute right to examine government documents.  The FOIA establishes the right to request records and to receive a response to the request. If a record cannot be released, the requestor is entitled to be told the reason for the denial. The requester also has a right to appeal the denial and, if necessary, to challenge it in court.

There are limitations on FOIA requests. The FOIA provides that a requester may ask for records rather than information. This means that an agency is only required to look for an existing record or documents in response to a FOIA request. An agency is neither required to collect information it does not have, nor must an agency do research or analyze data for a requester. The other limitation is that the law requires that each request must reasonably describe the record being sought. The request must be specific enough to permit a professional employee of the agency who is familiar with the subject matter to locate the record in a reasonable period of time.

Requests should be as precise and as narrow as possible. The requester benefits because the request can be processed more efficiently. The agency benefits because it can do a better job responding to the request. The agency will also be able to use its resources to respond to more requests. The FOIA works best when both the requester and the agency interact cooperatively.