Trump admin to lower housing costs by removing Biden-era green energy mandates, HUD secretary says

The cost of compliance, according to U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott, adds $31,000 to the cost of a home and adds to the housing shortage Americans are facing.

Published: June 18, 2026 2:06pm

The Trump administration is looking to reduce housing costs by removing Biden-era green energy mandates. 

The International Energy Conservation Code was revised in 2021 to increase building energy efficiency mandates as part of former President Joe Biden's overall climate policy. However, the regulations drove up the cost of building homes and exacerbated the housing shortage, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner told The Midwesterner

A failure to comply with the standards results in a denial of federal funding for new construction. The cost of compliance, Turner said, adds $31,000 to the cost of a home, and the Trump administration plans to rescind the rules. 

"When you add thousands on top of $100,000 of regulations already in a single-family home, where the home prices of $400,000 and above in America, that’s unsustainable for builders," Turner said. 

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