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HUD official says regulations add $100,000 to new-home costs and will publish best practices for states and cities
Summary
A HUD official said regulations and permitting add as much as $100,000 to the cost of building a new home and announced that HUD will publish state and local regulatory best practices aimed at lowering construction costs, unlocking land and speeding production.
A HUD official said in the transcript that regulations and permitting add as much as $100,000 to the cost of building a new home and announced that the agency will publish state and local regulatory best practices intended to reduce those costs and speed construction.
The official cited two headline figures: "The average age of a first time home buyer is 40," and "the average start at home price is $400,000," saying those levels put homeownership "out of reach for too many Americans." The official added that "regulations and red tape add up to a $100,000 to the price of a new home bill" and that in some states "it adds up to $30,000 in green energy mandates that never benefit the homeowners."
The remarks framed the effort as part of the Trump administration's housing agenda. "The Trump administration is putting an end to that," the HUD official said, adding that "the president promised to make housing affordable again" and that "at HUD, we're using an all above approach to make sure the American dream of homeownership is back within reach."
As a concrete step, the official said HUD will publish "state and local best practices" to encourage local governments "to cut costs, to unlock more land and to save time on home construction." The official argued those practices will both "cut costs and reduce the price tag of home construction," and by saving time "result in more new homes."
The official repeatedly emphasized intergovernmental cooperation, calling HUD's work "a new roadmap for state and local governments" and urging collaboration to "turn down bureaucratic red tape and make housing affordable again." The transcript does not identify specific statutory authority, named regulations to be changed, or a release date for the best-practices guidance.
Next steps in the remarks: HUD will publish the list of recommended state and local regulatory practices and encourage jurisdictions to adopt them. The transcript does not record any questions, formal votes or comments from other officials or outside stakeholders.
