(Washington, D.C.) – The U.S. House of Representatives has passed H.R. 5184, the Affordable Housing Over Mandating Efficiency Standards (Affordable HOMES) Act, a bipartisan bill led by Representatives Erin Houchin (IN-09) and Mike Flood (NE-01), by a vote of 263–147.
The legislation calls for preventing the Department of Energy from enforcing duplicative energy efficiency standards on manufactured housing – a sector that many Indiana residents rely on for affordable living – restores clear regulatory authority to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and helps lower housing costs for American families.
The Affordable HOMES Act repeals a 2022 Department of Energy rule that imposed site-built housing standards on manufactured homes—standards that failed to reflect the unique construction and cost structure of factory-built housing.
Houchin says by restoring HUD’s long-standing role as the sole regulator of manufactured housing construction standards, the bill provides regulatory clarity while preserving affordability.
“As demand for affordable homes has surged, so have unnecessary costs, making the dream of homeownership slip further out of reach for Americans. The Affordable HOMES Act takes a practical approach by cutting red tape and regulations that contribute to pricing American families out of owning a home, which will increase supply and lower costs. I’m proud to see the House take an important step toward restoring the American Dream with the passage of this bill,” said Congresswoman Houchin.
“Affordable homeownership should be Congress’s top economic priority. This bill makes progress by unlocking production of manufactured housing and lowering prices by up to $10,000 per unit. Coming off a big bipartisan vote in the House, the Senate should pass this—fast—to start cutting costs in the housing market,” said Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA-04)
“There’s a long list of bad Department of Energy regulations that harm both current and aspiring homeowners, and this bill addresses one of them. For the sake of housing affordability—especially for those struggling to buy their first home, we urge swift passage,” said Ben Lieberman, Senior Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute.
With passage in the House secured, supporters are urging the Senate to take up the Affordable HOMES Act promptly to deliver meaningful cost relief and expand access to homeownership nationwide.
