The HOUSE Act of 2025 rolls back energy efficiency mandates for new housing and prevents federal agencies from implementing similar standards, while also ensuring consideration of existing state energy efficiency standards.
Andy Biggs
Representative
AZ-5
The Helping Owners with Unaffordable Shoddy Edicts (HOUSE) Act of 2025 aims to reduce housing costs by reverting energy efficiency standards for housing to previous levels. It prohibits federal agencies like HUD, USDA, and VA from enforcing stricter energy efficiency standards for new construction and financing. The bill also prevents the Federal Housing Finance Agency from implementing new energy efficiency rules for single and multifamily housing. It requires consideration of state standards, ensuring that at least 26 states have adopted energy efficiency codes or standards meeting or exceeding the revised code or standard requirements.
HOUSE Act of 2025 Rolls Back Energy Efficiency Standards for Federally Backed Housing
The HOUSE Act of 2025—bluntly named the "Helping Owners with Unaffordable Shoddy Edicts Act of 2025"—is all about reversing course on energy efficiency standards for new homes that get any kind of federal backing. This means agencies like HUD, USDA, VA, and FHFA are now blocked from pushing stricter energy codes on builders.
Sticking It to the System
This bill essentially hits the rewind button on a recent push for greener homes. Specifically, it pulls back a final determination that would have ramped up energy efficiency requirements in new construction financed by HUD and USDA. Section 2 of the bill doesn't just withdraw this determination; it prohibits these agencies—and even the VA—from spending any federal cash to implement or enforce anything similar. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is also told to stand down on any related rulemaking.
Real-World Rollback
What does this mean on the ground? Imagine you're a contractor building affordable housing with USDA support. Before this bill, you'd be looking at meeting updated, stricter energy codes designed to lower long-term utility costs. Now? You're back to the old standards. For a family moving into a new, federally-backed home, this could mean lower upfront housing costs but potentially higher energy bills down the line. A farmer looking to build a new home with federal assistance might find the initial construction cheaper, but they could also be facing larger utility expenses over time. The bill does require that at least 26 states have adopted energy efficiency codes or standards meeting or exceeding the revised code or standard requirements.
The Long View
While supporters might argue this move reduces regulatory burdens and upfront housing costs, it raises questions about long-term affordability and environmental impact. Will families end up paying more in the long run through higher utility bills? And what about the broader push for energy efficiency? This bill seems to pump the brakes on that, at least in the realm of federally backed housing. It also brings up potential consistency issues, as states could end up with a jumble of different standards, making it harder to implement uniform energy efficiency improvements across the country.