The Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Agriculture on Tuesday repealed a Biden administration policy that would require federally-backed mortgages to adhere to updated energy efficiency codes, requirements that homebuilders claimed add more than $20,000 to the cost of homes.
In 2024, the Biden administration finalized a rule requiring all new construction homes to use the most up-to-date 2021 energy efficiency codes in order to qualify for federal loans from HUD and USDA.
The administration at the time said the stricter codes would apply to about one-sixth of all homes built each year, and would yield savings for homeowners over time of about 35%.
HUD noted that the Trump administration has since delayed the compliance data for the 2024 rule. The agency last year also issued a request for comment from stakeholders on the Biden administration’s standard.
The department claims that enforcing the Biden administration standards could result in an increase
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