Rep. Crank Introduces FRAMER Act, Bill to Cut Restrictions and Save Homebuyers Burdensome Costs

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Representative Jeff Crank (CO-05) introduced the Freeing Residential Affordable Markets from Excess Regulation (FRAMER) Act.

The cost of buying a new home in America is a challenge. This is made worse by excessive energy codes and regulations that raise the costs of construction, which are then passed down to homebuyers. The FRAMER Act would reduce the cost of home construction and homebuying by incentivizing states to roll back "agenda informed" energy codes applied to the construction of new homes. Under the legislation, states with energy codes more stringent than the federal standard would be required to reimburse home builders for the difference in construction costs.

"Every American should be able to live out their dream of owning a home," said Rep. Crank. "Unfortunately, this dream continues to be out of reach for many Americans. Energy codes and regulations, like the harsh one's we see here Colorado, significantly increase the cost of building a home, forcing our home builders to pass on the burdensome costs to the buyers.

"This is enough - we should not punish our home buyers, which is why I have introduced the FRAMER Act. The FRAMER Act will incentivize states to roll back overbearing energy efficiency codes, creating an environment that encourages home building and lowers the regulatory cost on home builders and buyers. The FRAMER Act provides the right incentive to states without federal overreach to directly address the housing affordability crisis in America."

Quotes of support for the FRAMER Act include:

"We applaud Congressman Crank for identifying one of the most significant regulations that is driving up the cost of building a home and proposing an incentive for states to adjust their mandates," said the Housing & Building Association of Colorado Springs. "Every day, we strive to build communities and homes where families can thrive, but overbearing regulations make it harder to deliver on this goal. We look forward to continuing to work with Congressman Crank and our elected officials to enact policies that promote home ownership and lower the barriers for home buyers to realize the American dream."

"I am honored to support Congressman Crank's FRAMER Act," said Roger Lovell, Regional Building Official, Pikes Peak Regional Building Department. "In my position as the Regional Building Official of Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, I have firsthand experience and knowledge about how the cost of building a home has increased over the years due to overbearing regulations forced by the State, which take away local authority and jurisdiction. These regulations have added thousands of dollars to the cost of building a home and have made it time consuming, costly, and burdensome for the communities, the industry, and those who locally regulate construction. I am greatly encouraged that Congressman Crank understands these impacts and is taking the issues seriously by proposing a thoughtful incentive for states like Colorado to roll back their energy code mandates and return to common sense policies that promote home building, maintain affordability, increase the access to new homes in our communities, and strengthen the relationship between the State and its local governments."

"Providing high quality housing for El Paso County is one of our main priorities," said The O'Neil Group Company. "In recent years, the cost of building a home has only increased and become more complex in Colorado, in part due to the harmful energy code mandates from the state capital. We applaud Congressman Crank for leading on effectively addressing the regulations that are holding back home builders from delivering more homes for all Coloradans."

"The National Association of REALTORS® supports the FRAMER Act, which takes a practical, market-driven approach to reducing regulatory costs that make housing less affordable. By ensuring states account for the added costs of energy code compliance in Opportunity Zones, this legislation helps builders bring more attainable homes to market while maintaining transparency for homebuyers. REALTORS® appreciate Rep. Crank's leadership in advancing policies that expand housing supply, protect consumers, and address affordability issues," said Shannon McGahn, Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer, National Association of REALTORS®.

"Lower housing costs lead to earlier homeownership, stronger families, and greater stability for children," said Craig DeRoche, President and CEO of Family Policy Alliance. "Expanding housing supply reduces competition and prices, helping families avoid delaying children or leaving their support networks. Family Policy Alliance is glad to support the FRAMER Act as a practical step to address one of the fastest-growing drivers of housing costs and strengthen families in communities across America."

"Burdensome regulations have made housing expensive and homebuying out of the reach for Americans across the country," said Ilana Blumsack, Economic Policy Analyst, Americans for Prosperity. "AFP thanks Rep. Crank for shining a light on excessive energy and environmental regulations burdening home builders and for encouraging states to reduce and reform their requirements."

Background:

The FRAMER Act incentivizes states to roll back overbearing energy housing codes by:

• As a requirement of receiving housing grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a state will be required to reimburse home builders for the added total cost of state specific regulations that are more stringent than HUD's current energy code minimum standard for homes built within a federal opportunity zone
• Requires the Government Accountability Office to create an annual report summarizing data from HUD on which states and localities were required to pay a cost difference, how much in total they paid to home builders, what the average payment per home was in each state and locality, and how much each state's regulations added to the cost of building a home
• Ensures that home buyers are informed of any cost savings realized through any reimbursement received by the home builder that lowers the cost of buying the home

Read the full bill here.