Podcast: Biden Administration Is Making it Harder to Finance Homes
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUD) was busy last week, publishing two new determinations that increase the requirements for borrowers to use federal mortgage programs when purchasing new homes.
On the latest episode of the NAHB podcast Housing Developments, CEO Jim Tobin and COO Paul Lopez welcome to the program Jessica Lynch, VP of Housing Finance, to discuss the new rules.
First, Lynch explains the new Federal Flood Risk Management Standard from HUD that will require a complicated, three-tiered process for determining the extent of the floodplain, with a preference for a climate-informed science approach, for owners of new homes to qualify for FHA mortgage insurance.
Lynch then discusses the recent move by HUD to require all new homes purchased under certain mortgage program to be built to the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), regardless of whether a state or jurisdiction has adopted that version of the IECC.
Watch the full episode below and subscribe to Housing Development through your favorite podcast provider or watch all the episodes on YouTube.
Latest from NAHBNow
NAHB leadership will gather Oct. 6-8 for the 2026 Fall Leadership Meeting in Detroit. Members and HBA staff not in attendance can view livestreams of the key meetings.
NAHB Chairman Bill Owens issued the following statement after Senators Mike Lee (R-UT), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act.
Latest Economic News
Private residential construction spending rose in August 2026 following a series of declines during the second quarter of the year. According to the latest construction spending data from the U.S. Census Bureau, private residential construction spending came in at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $882.3 billion in August, up 1.1% from July but down 4.8% from a year ago.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing how work gets done, but its impact varies considerably across occupations. For most construction occupations, near-term exposure to AI remains relatively low.
Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in 44 states and the District of Columbia in the second quarter of 2026, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).