NAHB Scored Major Victories for Members in 2025
In a year when affordability – most notably housing affordability – was the top issue for most Americans, NAHB laid the groundwork to make housing a top priority at all levels of government. We achieved several important legislative, regulatory and business wins in 2025 that resulted in an immediate and positive impact for our industry and our members.
Major milestones include:
- One Big Beautiful Bill Act a Big Win for Housing. NAHB helped secure several key housing and business provisions in this sweeping tax and domestic policy legislation that will benefit small businesses, real estate and our members. Signed into law by President Trump on July 4, the legislation:
- Blocks a $4 trillion tax increase by making permanent key provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including the tax rate structure and increased exemptions to the Alternative Minimum Tax.
- Makes permanent the 20% Section 199A Qualified Business Deduction, which helps provide tax parity for pass-through entities.
- Provides more resources for affordable rental housing by expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.
- U.S. Firms Exempt from Beneficial Ownership Reporting. NAHB advocated to protect small businesses from these substantial compliance burdens, including working with lawmakers to provide ample time to understand and comply with these reporting rules and filing an amicus brief.
- FHA Cuts All Multifamily Mortgage Insurance Premiums to 0.25%. The Federal Housing Administration slashed the FHA multifamily mortgage insurance premiums (MIP) for all multifamily programs to 25 basis points. Before this reduction, multifamily MIPs ranged from 25 basis points up to 95 basis points. This effort makes these programs cost effective and should stimulate multifamily housing production.
- Six-Month Delay on HUD’s 2021 IECC Rule. NAHB convinced the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Agriculture to wait until May 28, 2026, to enforce the compliance dates for adopting the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and ASHRAE 90.1-2019 as the minimum energy-efficiency standards for certain single-family and multifamily housing programs. NAHB and 15 state attorneys general filed a complaint to stop the adoption of these standards. NAHB is also working to get legislation introduced for this purpose.
- A Revamped WOTUS Rule. The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have announced a proposed updated definition of the “waters of the United States” (WOTUS). The rule will provide builders much-needed clarity by defining which waters are subject to federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act (CWA) while continuing to protect our nation’s vital waterways. NAHB has been actively engaged in this rulemaking process, participating in listening sessions and providing written feedback on how federal regulation affects development practices.
- Key Codes Wins. Although not finalized, NAHB staff and members worked through the International Code Council’s (ICC) model building code development process to:
- Defeat two proposals, which would: 1) require fuel gas detectors and alarms in homes with fuel-fired appliances, and 2) extend flood-resistant construction for one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses to the 500-year floodplain.
- And gain approval of proposals to: 1) restore the traditional 8-1/4" tread depth and 9” riser height for stairs used in many states, and 2) reference the ICC 1200 series of standards for modular and panelized construction.
- Supporting Members at All Levels. NAHB achieved great results for our rank-and-file by working on major state and local issues that affect our members’ bottom lines. Through its State and Local Issues Fund, which provides financial assistance to HBAs to help them advocate on industry issues, NAHB distributed $360,000 to 18 HBAs in 2025.
Similarly, the Legal Action Fund granted $330,000 to help 13 state and local associations and three members involved in litigation. NAHB supplemented this funding with technical assistance and staff expertise to help the HBAs meet their goals.
These actions resulted in key wins for our state and local HBAs:
View the full report of NAHB’s wins for our Federation in 2025.