White House Rescinds Order to Freeze Federal Funds
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has rescinded a memo authorizing the temporary freeze of many federal grants and loans. A one-paragraph memo issued by the OMB this afternoon said the agency was rescinding a memo issued earlier this week that called for a temporary pause on many federal grants, loans or financial assistance programs.
A federal judge halted the order on the original memo until at least Feb. 3.
After the first OMB memo was released on Jan. 27, NAHB staff worked to clarify the OMB statement to determine what effect it would have on federal housing programs by reaching out to several federal agencies and the White House. We received assurances from the White House and agencies that housing programs were not the intended target of the pause.
With the administration acting today to formally withdraw its memo to agencies that caused the funding freeze, this means that members of the housing community should not have problems closing their Federal Housing Administration loans, renewing their Housing Assistance Payment contracts, or receiving Housing Choice Voucher payments.
Latest from NAHBNow
Advocacy
Mar 12, 2026
Statement from NAHB Chairman Bill Owens on Passage of Senate Housing BillNAHB Chairman Bill Owens issued the following statement after the Senate passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.
Economics
Mar 12, 2026
Single-Family Starts Remain Soft in January on Affordability ConcernsOverall housing starts increased 7.2% in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.49 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Mar 12, 2026
Single-Family Starts Remain Soft in January on Affordability ConcernsElevated construction costs and constrained affordability conditions led to a reduction in single-family housing starts in January.
Economics
Mar 11, 2026
Inflation Steady Before WarAfter months of downward trend, inflation held steady at an eight-month low in February. This report does not reflect the recent surge in oil prices due to Iran conflict beginning February 28. Higher oil prices will likely translate into higher gasoline costs and impact other sectors associated with transportation including airline tickets.
Economics
Mar 11, 2026
Single-Family Permits End 2025 on a Soft NoteSingle-family permitting softened over the course of 2025 and finished the year weaker than the prior year. After showing some resilience in 2024, permitting activity gradually lost momentum as elevated mortgage rates and ongoing affordability constraints weighed on buyer demand.