NAHB urges for leaner energy code requirements
On Jan. 22, 2026, Buddy Hughes, chairman of NAHB and a homebuilder and developer from Lexington, N.C., testified at a congressional panel hearing focusing on housing affordability and energy code. In order to ease housing constraints for home buyers and renters, Hughes said it is imperative to eliminate excessive regulations that hinder the construction of new homes and apartments.
“Regulations account for nearly 25% of the cost of a single-family home and more than 40% of the cost of a typical apartment development,” said Hughes. “The time and costs associated with complying with a multitude of government regulations can be significant for small- and medium-sized builders and ultimately limit housing supply.”
Hughes and NAHB argued that increased regulations, including overly stringent mandatory energy code requirements, are impeding the builders’ ability to boost housing production.
“In 2024, [Department of Housing and Urban Development] and [U.S. Department of Agriculture] released a rule mandating federally assisted projects use the 2021 energy code, which offers marginal energy savings to homeowners,” said Hughes. “This energy code will add thousands in additional cost, and homeowners won’t see a payback on these, sometimes for decades.”
