By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose
The quintessential American dream of owning a home hinges on a vibrant housing market, one that thrives on the consistent construction and renovation of diverse new homes each year. However, an overwhelming array of needless regulatory hurdles, sluggish permitting processes, and burdensome government mandates have hampered construction efforts, stifled development, and inflated the costs associated with new housing. As a direct consequence, many Americans find housing increasingly unaffordable.
My Administration’s policy is clear: we will work to dismantle regulatory barriers that impede home building while ensuring that taxpayer dollars are managed in a way that enhances housing affordability.
Section 2. Targeting Federal Regulatory Barriers to Residential Development
(a) The Secretary of the Army, through the Assistant Secretary for Civil Works, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shall undertake a comprehensive review and revision of existing requirements concerning stormwater, wetlands, lakes, and rivers. The goal is to lower housing construction and ownership costs, expedite regulatory decision-making, alleviate property tax burdens, and improve insurability, all while adhering to applicable laws. This review will consider:
- (i) The Construction General Permit for stormwater discharges from construction activities;
- (ii) Federally issued Total Maximum Daily Loads;
- (iii) Permitting requirements for Municipal Separate Stormwater Systems during and post-construction;
- (iv) Federal standards for permits under section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) regarding dredged and fill material;
- (v) Federal standards for state and tribal assumptions of dredge and fill permitting under section 404(g) of the CWA.
(b) The Secretaries of Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, and the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) shall, within their jurisdictions, consider the elimination of overly burdensome regulations and reform programs that hinder residential development and compromise housing affordability. This includes, but is not limited to:
- (i) Revisiting the Economic Development Administration’s guidelines regarding development density;
- (ii) Evaluating the Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program;
- (iii) Reassessing the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing Program;
- (iv) Amending FHFA’s guidelines on chattel lending for manufactured housing and low-balance home mortgages.
(c) The Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of Energy, and the FHFA Director shall take necessary actions to reform or eliminate costly energy-efficiency, water-use, or alternative-energy requirements for housing, including manufactured homes, as feasible and compliant with existing law. This will involve reviewing:
- (i) Energy Conservation Standards for Manufactured Housing;
- (ii) Adoption of Energy Efficiency Standards for HUD- and USDA-Financed Housing;
- (iii) Residential building energy codes reviewed by the Secretary of Energy;
- (iv) Water and energy efficiency standards relevant to the FHFA’s duty to serve underserved properties.
Section 3. Streamlining Federal Permitting Requirements for Residential Development
(a) The Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality shall provide guidance to executive departments and agencies on executing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. This includes implementing categorical exclusions to minimize burdens on housing construction, preservation, and essential infrastructure like roads and utilities.
(b) The Chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation shall formulate guidance to maximize exemptions or reduce burdens on housing construction and related infrastructure under section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, ensuring that reporting requirements remain as minimal as possible.
Section 4. Boosting Housing Affordability Through State and Local Regulatory Best Practices
(a) Within 60 days of this order, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in collaboration with the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, shall devise a set of regulatory best practices aimed at state and local governments to enhance housing construction and affordability. This shall include:
- (i) Streamlining permitting processes by capping timelines and fees, allowing by-right development for single-family homes, limiting retroactive application of new codes, permitting third-party inspections, and ensuring swift dispute resolution regarding construction issues;
- (ii) Reducing mandates that inflate housing construction costs, such as unnecessary green-energy requirements, unsubstantiated building codes, and unreasonable timelines for code adoption;
- (iii) Reevaluating restrictions on manufactured or modular housing based on construction methods instead of objective safety standards or aesthetic concerns;
- (iv) Lifting arbitrary limitations on residential development beyond urban centers, including urban growth boundaries and commuting penalties.
(b) The Secretaries of Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, and the EPA Administrator shall, within their respective authorities, take steps to revise relevant regulations, guidance, grant applications, and other practices to promote the best practices established in subsection (a).
Section 5. Facilitating New Residential Construction in Opportunity Zones
(a) The Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall collaborate to evaluate Administration actions aimed at aligning programs and incentives with Opportunity Zone tax incentives. This includes exploring mechanisms to connect grants or financing tools with investments in Qualified Opportunity Funds focused on single-family home construction.
(b) They will also explore coordination opportunities between Opportunity Zone incentives and the New Markets Tax Credit to stimulate single-family home construction in qualified census tracts that meet both criteria.
Section 6. General Provisions
(a) Nothing in this order shall be interpreted to impair or affect:
- (i) The authority granted by law to any executive department or agency or its head;
- (ii) The functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget concerning budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented in accordance with applicable law and subject to available appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to create any enforceable rights or benefits against the United States or its entities.
(d) Should any provision of this order be deemed invalid, the remaining provisions and their applications shall remain unaffected.
(e) The costs of publishing this order shall be borne by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 13, 2026.
