Biden Administration’s New Climate Rules Add $31,000 to Price of New Home, Industry Groups Say

‘This senseless nationwide codes mandate will significantly raise housing costs,’ said NAHB chairman Carl Harris.

A new home under construction in southeast Denver on Aug. 21, 2023. David Zalubowski/AP Photo

The Biden administration’s latest energy efficiency rule for new home construction will push up costs and make housing even less affordable at a time when house prices have just hit record highs, according to two home builders associations.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the adoption of updated minimum energy standards for new single-family and multifamily housing construction built with federal financing or funding.