HUD and USDA’s Six-Month Delay on Enforcing 2021 IECC Rule A Win for Housing
This post has been updated.
In a win for NAHB and the housing industry, the Trump administration has announced a six-month delay in the implementation of the Biden administration’s mandatory energy code, an important step forward to help ease the nation’s housing affordability crisis.
Specifically, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Department of Agriculture (USDA) will wait an additional six months before enforcing 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.
“This six-month pause by HUD and USDA is an important step forward to help ease the nation’s housing affordability crisis,” said NAHB Chairman Buddy Hughes. “Compliance with this rule would make it much harder for home builders and multifamily developers to build housing that is available and affordable for American families.
In fact, the Home Innovation Research Labs has found that compliance with the 2021 IECC can add more than $20,000 to the price of a new home, but in practice, home builders have estimated increased costs of up to $31,000.
The updated compliance dates are as follows:
| Program | Initiation Event | Compliance Date |
| HOME and HTF (If HOME/HTF funding is layered with other HUD funds, the later program compliance date applies) |
Participating Jurisdiction (PJ) or HTF Grantee Funding Commitment | Nov. 28, 2024 |
| Federal Housing Administration-Insured (FHA-Insured) Multifamily | Pre-application Submitted to HUD | Nov. 28, 2025 |
| FHA-Insured Single Family | Building Permit Application | May 28, 2026 |
| Public Housing Capital Fund | HUD approvals of development proposals for new Capital Fund or mixed financed projects | Nov. 28, 2025 |
| Project Based Vouchers | To be determined in further guidance | April 1, 2026 |
| Competitive Grants (Choice Neighborhoods, Section 202, Section 811) | Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Publication | Next published NOFO after six months from the date of publication of this notice |
| All programs, persistent poverty rural areas | Based on program-specific event, above | May 28, 2026 |
| Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) | N/A | Already effective by Federal Register Notice July 27, 2023 |
NAHB commends the Trump administration for recognizing the importance of bringing down the cost of housing and will continue to pursue all avenues on the congressional, regulatory and legal fronts to overturn this harmful energy code rule.
Latest from NAHBNow
IBS
Feb 19, 2026
NAHB Honors the Industry’s Top Achievements at The NationalsThe National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) honored top achievements in residential real estate sales, marketing, individual achievement and global excellence at The Nationals℠ Awards Gala (sponsored by Chase) during the NAHB International Builders’ Show in Orlando. Awards were also presented for the 55+ housing, NAHB Honors and Global Innovation award categories.
Economics
Feb 18, 2026
Impact of Affordability Challenges and Demographic Shifts on Housing Trends in 2026Housing affordability has declined significantly in recent years. The deterioration in price-to-income ratio has been a key factor, as home prices have risen 53% since 2019, while median household income has risen only 24%. This has notably decreased the share of first-time home buyers in the market, which dropped to 21% in 2025 from 44% in 1981. Over that same time frame, the median age for first-time buyers reached a record high of 40 in 2025 from 29 in 1981.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Feb 18, 2026
Overall Housing Starts Inch Lower in 2025Despite a strong finish in December, single-family home building dipped in 2025 as persistent affordability challenges continued to weigh on the market.
Economics
Feb 18, 2026
How Housing Affordability Conditions Vary Across States and Metro AreasThe NAHB 2026 priced-out estimates show that the housing affordability challenge is widespread across the country. In 39 states and the District of Columbia, over 65% of households are priced out of the median-priced new home market. This indicates a significant disconnect between higher new home prices, elevated mortgage rates, and household incomes.
Economics
Feb 17, 2026
Builder Sentiment Edges Lower on Affordability ConcernsBuilder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes fell one point to 36 in February, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI).