HUD secretary says cutting regulations, boosting manufactured housing key to easing affordability

Secretary Scott Turner, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development secretary, told a West Palm Beach audience that federal and local regulatory burdens are major obstacles to producing more affordable housing and described actions and priorities his department is pursuing.

Turner said "the regulatory environment in our country has literally crippled construction and development," arguing that regulations and mandates increase costs for buyers and builders. He cited a report he said found about $100,000 in regulatory costs added to the price of a single-family home and referenced a separate figure of $31,000 per project tied to green-energy requirements under prior administration policies.

Turner also said HUD has removed the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule because, in his words, it had "essentially made HUD a national zoning board" and imposed burdensome bureaucracy without producing houses. He said the department took that step to restore flexibility to local governments.

On housing finance and scale, Turner highlighted the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) portfolio under HUD leadership, saying it oversees "nearly a trillion dollars of multi-family mortgage insurance" and "approximately two trillion dollars of single-family mortgage insurance" that facilitate affordable and first-time home purchases.

Turning to supply-side solutions, Turner promoted manufactured and modular housing, and HUD's innovation initiatives such as 3D-printed and modular designs showcased at a HUD event; he said about 22 million Americans live in manufactured housing and that modern manufactured homes are substantially different from older models.

Why it matters: Turner framed regulatory reform, strengthening lender competition (including community banks), and embracing manufacturing and technology in housing construction as central to lowering costs and expanding supply. These are administrative priorities that may shape program guidance and grant-making at HUD.

What this doesn't establish: The numerical figures Turner cited (regulatory-cost estimates, FHA portfolio sizes, and job/housing totals) were presented as on-the-record assertions at the event and are attributed here to him; they were not independently verified in the session.

Next steps: Turner said HUD will continue program reviews, cut red tape, pursue technology-driven housing pilots, and direct regional HUD staff to convene local stakeholders to identify barriers and opportunities.