President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday aimed at boosting the nation’s housing supply by reducing “regulatory barriers,” including water pollution requirements and energy efficiency programs.
The order directs EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to review and revise permitting programs for wetlands, rivers, lakes and stormwater pollution. It also directs the Energy Department, Agriculture Department and other agencies to assess and potentially eliminate “unduly burdensome or costly energy-efficiency, water-use, or alternative-energy requirements regarding housing.”
The move comes one day after the Senate passed a major bipartisan housing bill that faces an uncertain future in the House and as both parties seek to address affordability concerns ahead of the midterm elections.
The order also targets local and state measures. It directs HUD to try to incentivize state and local governments to speed up permitting, such as by ending “green-energy building requirements” and so-called energy choice restrictions.
In addition, the order calls for a review of EPA water pollution plans, known as total maximum daily loads, and new federal guidance for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act to speed housing construction.
