Prejudice against Pregnancy

The news coming from the mortgage industry seems to change on a daily basis.  Mortgage applications are on the rise; mostly due to refinancing of existing loans.  Mortgage profits are down, due to the rise in costs for appraisals and documentation for underwriting.  The mortgage industry is in a tizzy trying to comply with regulations that seem to change on an hourly basis.  The latest twist in lending is this: if you are a pregnant woman on maternity leave your income will not be considered as qualifying toward a loan.  In the past, if you had a letter from your employer guaranteeing your job upon the end of your leave, that was sufficient to secure your loan. Most Californians need two incomes to make the qualifying ratios for a home mortgage.  Eliminating your pregnant wife's income could eliminate your chances of obtaining a mortgage.  Lenders are running scared and rightly so.  First they are blamed for the lenient policies of the past which lead us to the sub prime lending debacle, when in fact, it was government policy that strongly encouraged them to enable everyone who wanted one to get a loan.  Now HUD has announced that they will investigate this discriminatory trend. Why do they require an "investigation"?  Why don't they just notify lenders that they will not prosecute them if a loan made to a pregnant woman who never returns to her job defaults?  Then lenders will return to moderate lending policies and everyone will benefit.