House Passes NAHB-Supported Regulatory Reform Bill
On a bipartisan vote of 208-196, the House has passed NAHB-supported legislation that would increase small business input in the regulatory process and ensure agencies are fully accounting for the impact of regulations on small businesses.
The Prove It Act of 2024 (H.R. 7198) would ensure agencies thoughtfully consider the actual cost of regulations on small businesses by requiring a more thorough analysis, including indirect costs associated with a proposed rule.
In July, NAHB member Steve Martinez testified before the House Small Business Committee and said “increased regulations including building code requirements, among other things, add significant costs to homes and further harm housing affordability.” In fact, on average, nearly 25% of the cost of a single-family home is attributable to government regulation, and regulations account for more than 40% of the cost of a typical apartment development.
Prior to the House vote, NAHB sent a letter to members of Congress urging passage of the bill and told lawmakers “ensuring that regulations consider the true cost of compliance on small businesses in the home building industry would go a long way in helping to overcome the nation’s housing supply crisis.”
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The newly enacted 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to develop voluntary federal guidelines for state and local zoning best practices. Although not mandatory, the guidelines will help shape how communities are evaluated for federal grants and give states a model for developing their own enabling legislation.
The overall labor market continued to lose momentum in July, with nonfarm payrolls falling by 23,000 and previous job gains revised sharply lower.
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Residential building material prices, excluding energy, rose 0.4% in July and were up 5.0% from a year ago. Energy prices fell again in July but remained significantly higher than a year ago. Meanwhile, prices for services were down 0.3% over the month but were 6.2% higher than a year ago.
The latest homeownership rate declined to 65% in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Census’s Housing Vacancy Survey (HVS). The homeownership rate was unchanged from a year ago, and not statistically different than the rate in the first quarter of the year (65.3%).
Led by declines in gasoline and diesel prices, inflation eased for the second consecutive month after reaching a three-year high in May. As energy prices moderated, shelter resumed its role as the largest driver of headline inflation, accounting for one-third of the annual increase and over two-thirds of the monthly increase.