President Donald Trump issued an executive order1 that establishes a White House Council focused on "eliminating regulatory barriers to affordable housing." The council is to be chaired by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson.

The order engages the fiery political debate that has taken over the country in recent months as states and municipalities have struggled with finding approaches to address the nationwide housing affordability crisis.

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  • 1. Excerpts from the Order:

    "These regulatory barriers include: overly restrictive zoning and growth management controls; rent controls; cumbersome building and rehabilitation codes; excessive energy and water efficiency mandates; unreasonable maximum-density allowances; historic preservation requirements; overly burdensome wetland or environmental regulations; outdated manufactured-housing regulations and restrictions; undue parking requirements; cumbersome and time-consuming permitting and review procedures; tax policies that discourage investment or reinvestment; overly complex labor requirements; and inordinate impact or developer fees.

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    These regulatory barriers increase the costs associated with development, and, as a result, drive down the supply of affordable housing.  They are the leading factor in the growth of housing prices across metropolitan areas in the United States.  Many of the markets with the most severe shortages in affordable housing contend with the most restrictive State and local regulatory barriers to development."