President Donald Trump signed a pair of executive orders on Friday aimed at fighting the housing crisis, a critical leg of the “affordability” issue, ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Members of both parties have voiced concerns about dwindling stock in the existing housing market, for both owners and renters, and increased costs to build out new constructions.
Friday’s first order, “Removing Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Home Construction,” slashes “unduly burdensome” federal regulations that administration officials say are slowing new housing unit construction and encourages state and local governments to do the same.
The order specifically directs the U.S. Army and Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider a slew of environmental regulations, including permitting codes for stormwater, wetlands, as defined by the Clean Water Act and energy efficiency.
Furthermore, Trump directed the Departments of Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, and Transportation and the Federal Housing Finance Agency to reform regulations on housing density and energy that officials say are similarly slowing residential development.
White House officials say that, in total, “regulations imposed by government at all levels” add upwards of $90,000 on average to the price of newly constructed single-family homes, though the bulk of that comes at the state and local level.
Trump’s second housing order from Friday, “Promoting Access to Mortgage Credit,” directs the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to update its guidance on mortgage lending to allow smaller banks to increase their lending frequency. Administration officials argue that increasing competition from lenders will drive down mortgage costs for borrowers, which homebuyers will begin to see in the coming weeks and months.
Democrats made the housing crisis a core component of their platform last year, riding the issue to a clean sweep of the major races in last November’s off-year elections.
Since that time, Trump has announced a wide range of housing-focused proposals, which have received mixed results.
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Late last year, FHFA Director Bill Pulte convinced the president to endorse a 50-year fixed mortgage and portable mortgage options, both of which received significant criticism from experts on both sides of the aisle.
But in January, Trump signed an executive order seeking to bar private investment groups from purchasing single-family home units to considerably more acclaim.
