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Since reoccupying the Oval Office in recent days, President Trump has pushed for several changes to the federal government and issued a high number of executive orders. An executive order is a directive issued by the President of the United States to manage federal government operations. Executive orders carry the force of law and cannot be directly overturned by Congress.
One of the most publicized of Trump’s executive orders calls for the government to provide emergency price relief to Americans via several actions, including lowering housing costs and boosting housing inventory. How should this directive be interpreted? What will this order ultimately mean to home buyers and home builders? And what difficulties will the Trump Administration likely experience in making housing more affordable?
On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order titled Delivering Emergency Price Relief for American Families and Defeating the Cost-of-Living Crisis. In it, he states that “many Americans are unable to purchase homes due to historically high prices, in part due to regulatory requirements that alone account for 25 percent of the cost of constructing a new home according to recent analysis.”
Industry insiders parse this document as a bold declaration and mandate that’s warranted. Case in point: In a written statement, the National Association of REALTORS®’ (NAR) chief advocacy officer Shannon McGahn said her organization applauds President Trump for focusing on these housing supply and affordability challenges.