President Donald Trump signs executive order to reduce rules slowing homebuilding

President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to review rules that the White House says delay residential construction and raise building costs. The move follows the Senate's passage of the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at reducing regulations the White House says slow new home construction and raise building costs. The order directs federal agencies to review and potentially eliminate rules such as permitting requirements, environmental reviews, and certain building standards. It arrives a day after the Senate passed the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which includes dozens of housing reforms and a provision on institutional investor purchases of single-family homes. The administration also announced a separate executive order focused on easing regulatory burdens for lenders to expand access to mortgage credit. Key details: - The executive order instructs federal agencies to review rules that delay residential construction or increase building costs, including permitting requirements, environmental reviews, and certain building standards. - Officials will review changes affecting manufactured housing, development density and other policies that critics say can constrain housing supply. - The bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act passed by the Senate the day before includes dozens of reforms and addresses institutional investor purchases of single-family homes. - Realtor.com reported a 2026 U.S. Housing Supply Gap of about 4.03 million homes, noting housing starts in 2025 lagged household formation. - A separate executive order announced the same day aims to ease regulatory burdens on lenders, particularly smaller community banks, to expand mortgage credit. Summary: The administration presents the order as part of a broader deregulatory agenda intended to expand housing supply and support homeownership. Federal agencies have been directed to review and potentially change rules that affect residential construction; implementation timing and specific steps were not detailed in the reporting.