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.
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NAHB members who were unable to join us in Detroit for the 2026 Fall Leadership Meeting can watch some of the highlights on nahb.org.
In 2022, NAHB estimated regulation accounts for over 40% of the cost of a new multifamily development — a key data point in lobbying federal, state and local policymakers against policies that drive up the cost of new housing. This widely cited estimate is now outdated, so NAHB is conducting a survey to update it and needs your help to do so.
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