President Trump has now issued an executive order tackling one of his long-standing interests: the regulatory environment and its negative impact on housing construction.
In the document, Trump declared that “layers of unnecessary regulatory barriers, slow permitting processes, and onerous mandates at all levels of government have delayed construction, restricted development, and driven up the costs of new housing.”
To that end, the President ordered both the Environmental Protection Agency as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to “support federal permitting reforms for residential construction under both wetlands and stormwater requirements.”
The order additionally instructs the departments of Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, and Transportation to “eliminate or reform overly burdensome energy, water, and alternative-energy requirements for housing, including manufactured homes.”
Industry officials have for some time now been calling for a lessening of regulations to hasten residential construction. In a statement, Bill Owens, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders, said Trump’s order will “enable builders to build more housing by reducing red tape, streamlining permitting requirements, and easing costly environmental regulations.”
Shannon McGahn, chief advocacy officer of the National Association of Realtors, praised the executive order as “an important step toward making it easier for communities to build the homes Americans need.”
For all of that, however, notes the US News and World Report, “It’s unclear how quickly federal efforts can generate new construction.” Warns the Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers: “If reviews of protections are cut too much, projects may face lawsuits that slow them down.”
March 17, 2026
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of the White House
