Laura Arce

Laura Arce is Senior Vice President for Economic Initiatives at UnidosUS. Laura rejoined Unidos US in 2022 to develop, launch, and lead the “Home Ownership Means Equity” (HOME) Initiative – a multi‐year institutional priority that seeks to transform the economic trajectory of Latinos through homeownership.Prior to rejoining UnidosUS, Laura was Senior Vice President for Public Policy for Wells Fargo & Co. where she led public policy analysis and external engagement on consumer banking, consumer lending, and community reinvestment. 

During her tenure at Wells Fargo, Laura served as Vice Chair and then Chair of the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Residential Loan Administration Committee. She previously served as Senior Policy Analyst at the Federal Housing Finance Agency where she oversaw reforms to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage servicing policies and products during the foreclosure crisis. During her tenure at FHFA, Laura was awarded the Distinguished Service Award and served as an Excellence in Government Fellow.

Laura has over 20 years of experience in financial services and Washington, DC with senior positions in the private, nonprofit, and public sectors. Laura began her career at UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza). During her first tour at UnidosUS, she successfully co‐authored the certification application for the Raza Development Fund, the first CDFI sponsored by a civil rights organization, and secured federal funding to establish a national network of housing counseling agencies focused on increasing Latino homeownership.

Laura currently sits on Fannie Mae’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council. She has previously sat on the boards of the Mission Asset Fund and Community Tax Aid.

Laura is a first‐generation American and a second‐generation graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. She holds a master’s degree in urban planning from Rutgers University where she was a Community Development Fellow. Laura grew up in Oakland, CA – bilingual and bicultural – and is based in Washington, DC.