The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in coordination with the White House, released the State and Local Best Practices for Home Constructionpdf on May 20, implementing President Trump's March 13 executive order directing federal agencies to develop regulatory best practices for states and localities on housing construction. The report calls on state and local governments to reduce construction costs, unlock land for residential development, and accelerate permitting timelines through various policy options, noting that regulatory costs account for more than $100,000 of the final price of a new single-family home.
"NAR applauds HUD's State and Local Best Practices for Home Construction as a constructive contribution to the national conversation on housing supply. Today's release reflects the Trump administration's commitment to addressing the housing supply crisis, building on the president's March executive order directing federal agencies to develop regulatory best practices for states and localities," said Shannon McGahn, NAR executive vice president and chief advocacy officer. "The report's focus on reducing unnecessary regulatory costs, unlocking land for residential development, modernizing permitting, improving transparency, and accelerating construction timelines is consistent with NAR's long-standing support for practical state and local reforms that expand housing opportunity. REALTORS® see firsthand that housing affordability is fundamentally constrained by a lack of available homes, and state and local reforms that reduce barriers to responsible housing production are essential to expanding opportunity for buyers, renters, and communities across the country."