Background Information	12 Months Ended
Background Information	Dec. 31, 2019
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature of Operations [Text Block]	Background Information We are a federally chartered corporation and one of 11 district Federal Home Loan Banks (the FHLBanks or the FHLBank System). The FHLBanks are government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) that were organized under the Federal Home Loan Bank Act of 1932, as amended (FHLBank Act), to serve the public by enhancing the availability of credit for residential mortgages, targeted community development and economic growth. Each FHLBank operates in a specifically defined geographic territory, or district. We provide a readily available, competitively priced source of funds to our members and certain nonmember institutions located within the six New England states, which are Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Certain regulated financial institutions, including community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and insurance companies with their principal places of business in New England and engaged in residential housing finance, may apply for membership. Additionally, certain nonmember institutions (referred to as housing associates) that meet applicable legal criteria may also borrow from us. While eligible to borrow, housing associates are not eligible to become members and, therefore, are not allowed to hold capital stock. As we are a cooperative, current and former members own all of our outstanding capital stock and may receive dividends on their investment. We do not have any wholly or partially owned subsidiaries, and we do not have an equity position in any partnerships, corporations, or off-balance-sheet special-purpose entities. All members must purchase our stock as a condition of membership and as a condition of engaging in certain business activities with us. The FHFA, our primary regulator, is the independent federal regulator of the FHLBanks, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), and Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae). A purpose of the FHFA is to ensure that the FHLBanks operate in a safe and sound manner, including maintenance of adequate capital and internal controls. In addition, the FHFA is responsible for ensuring that 1) the operations and activities of each FHLBank foster liquid, efficient, competitive, and resilient national housing finance markets, 2) each FHLBank complies with the title and the rules, regulations, guidelines, and orders issued under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) and the authorizing statutes, 3) each FHLBank carries out its statutory mission through only activities that are authorized under and consistent with HERA and the authorizing statutes, and 4) the activities of each FHLBank and the manner in which such FHLBank is operated is consistent with the public interest. Each FHLBank is a separate legal entity with its own management, employees, and board of directors. The Office of Finance is the FHLBanks' fiscal agent and is a joint office of the FHLBanks established to facilitate the issuance and servicing of the FHLBanks' COs and to prepare the combined quarterly and annual financial reports of all the FHLBanks. As provided by the FHLBank Act, and applicable regulations, COs are backed only by the financial resources of all the FHLBanks and are our primary source of funds. Deposits, other borrowings, and the issuance of capital stock, which is principally held by our current and former members, provide other funds. We primarily use these funds to provide loans, called advances, to invest in single-family mortgage loans under the Mortgage Partnership Finance^® (MPF^®) program, and also to fund other investments. In addition, we offer correspondent services, such as wire-transfer, securities-safekeeping, and settlement services. "Mortgage Partnership Finance", "MPF" and "MPF Xtra" are registered trademarks of the FHLBank of Chicago.