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last mo.

Trump Weighs National Housing Emergency for Fall

Experts say emergency powers would not solve the long-running supply shortfall.

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent waits between interviews during a Labor Day visit to Metro 29 Diner in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., September 1, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
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U.S. President Donald Trump calls on a reporter during a cabinet meeting with members of his administration in the Cabinet Room of the White House on August 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
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Overview

  • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the White House is preparing new steps on housing in the coming weeks and that President Trump may declare an emergency this fall.
  • Officials are studying standardization of local building and zoning codes, lowering closing costs, streamlined permitting, and possible tariff exemptions for some construction materials.
  • The administration plans to elevate housing affordability as a central plank of the Republican platform for the 2026 midterm elections.
  • Democrats and legal analysts question the legality and effectiveness of a housing emergency, citing Trump’s frequent use of emergency powers and recent court pushback on his tariffs.
  • Bessent notes rents are easing and expects more home sales if interest rates fall, while independent estimates still place the national housing shortfall at roughly 4 million homes.