New Environmental Review Process Will Boost Infrastructure Projects
The Trump administration today proposed regulatory reforms to the National Environmental Policy Act that will boost infrastructure projects that are needed to support residential land development projects.
“The plan to reform the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is the most recent example of the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to reduce harmful regulations that hurt small businesses and impede economic growth,” said NAHB Chairman Greg Ugalde. “Updating NEPA will streamline the federal permitting process and allow badly needed transportation and infrastructure projects to move forward. In turn, this will build strong communities and support a thriving housing market.”
NEPA was intended to provide an important environmental check on major federal actions. However, it has often been misused to improperly delay or prohibit vital infrastructure projects or to thwart implementation of needed reforms to federal environmental regulations.
NAHB CEO Jerry Howard represented NAHB at the White House event announcing the proposed overhaul on how federal agencies will implement NEPA. NAHB believes the administration deserves credit for its actions to remove federal regulatory barriers across all federal agencies that impact the larger U.S. economy, including regulations that affect housing.
“We welcome any NEPA reforms that streamline the regulatory process and reduce unnecessary costs and delays,” said Howard. “At the same time, we urge President Trump and the administration to continue their efforts to highlight and eliminate regulatory barriers to affordable housing at all levels of government.”
Latest from NAHBNow
Remodeling activity was flat in the second quarter amid a broader nationwide housing slowdown, according to NAHB's State Projections of Remodeling (SPR). The SPR provides a quarterly, state-by-state analysis of remodeling spending, market share and changes in spending.
NAHB’s Monthly Update equips members and HBA staff with timely talking points on the Federation’s top housing priorities. This month’s update covers the post-election outlook for housing, progress on permitting reform and NAHB’s response to the latest WOTUS proposal.
Latest Economic News
Wage growth for residential building workers showed signs of a modest rebound in September 2026 following a sharp slowdown earlier in the year. According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nominal wage growth picked up from its June pace, although it remained relatively modest.
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has released its State Projections of Remodeling (SPR) for the second quarter of 2026. As a reminder, the SPR provides on a quarterly basis a state-level estimation of the market share and total dollar value of remodeling spending.
The U.S. labor market rebounded in October, with nonfarm payroll employment increasing by 165,000 jobs and the unemployment rate declining to 4.1%. However, the improvement in overall employment contrasts with continued weakness in residential construction, where employment fell by 16,400 jobs, the largest monthly decline since March 2021.