It’s Time to Treat Homes Like Highways

America’s housing crisis isn’t a mystery. We know exactly why Millennials and Gen Z have been locked out of homeownership: a broken regulatory system that makes building simple, affordable homes nearly impossible.

Demand is strong, but supply has failed to keep pace. Decades of inconsistent state and local regulations have created layer upon layer of bureaucracy that prevents the marketplace from delivering solutions at scale. While we debate zoning tweaks and subsidies, two entire generations have been priced out of the American Dream.

The solution is straightforward and rather bold: Regulate homes under the federal government’s Commerce Clause authority, the same way we regulate interstate highways and, soon, artificial intelligence. The goal should be to cut through the red tape that keeps American industry from doing what it does best, which is producing high-quality goods at scale.

Three concrete actions would transform the industry overnight.

First, create a national make-and-sell certification for factories. Just as manufacturers certify products for safety and quality in other industries, factory-built homes should meet one clear national standard. This single certification would unlock production across state lines instead of forcing every builder to navigate 50 different rulebooks.

Second, reform the building permit process. Instead of allowing endless local delays, let qualified engineers issue permits for projects that meet existing zoning requirements. This simple change would replace bureaucratic gatekeeping with professional accountability and sharply reduce project timelines.

And third, replace our current 3,000-page prescriptive building code with a modern, 100-page performance-based code. Rather than dictating exactly how every detail must be built, a performance code focuses on outcomes: safety, energy efficiency, and durability. This would allow builders to use modern materials and methods while maintaining high standards.

These changes would deliver dramatic results. Home costs could drop by 50 percent over time. Build cycles could shrink by 90 percent. We’d activate an existing army of two hundred American housing factories that are currently sitting idle. Small builders and developers would finally be able to focus on land development instead of fighting regulatory battles. Nine million stagnant infill parcels could come back to life, revitalizing neighborhoods across the country.

The economic impact would be enormous. Filling our five-million-unit housing shortfall would create millions of American jobs in factories and on job sites. GDP would rise as construction activity surged. Most importantly, we’d restore the pathway to wealth-building that homeownership has traditionally provided for working families.

Affordability is only part of the case. Housing quality also affects health. Traditional site-built homes, constructed outdoors and exposed to the elements, often develop mold and moisture problems that affect indoor air quality. Factory-built homes, constructed in controlled environments, reduce the risk of these issues at the source.

The technology already exists. The factories are already here. The regulatory framework has not caught up. American industry already knows how to build at scale, but the current system keeps getting in the way.

Critics will argue that federal involvement in housing is inappropriate. But the status quo already represents a policy choice, and one that blocks new supply. The current system protects entrenched interests while young families and first-time buyers bear the cost through sky-high prices and delayed life milestones.

We have the tools, the timing, and the national momentum to fix this. What we need now is the political will to treat housing as the critical infrastructure it is. Just as we once built the interstate highway system to connect our nation, we can build a modern housing system that connects Americans to opportunity.

The choice is clear. We can continue with the same failed approach, allowing home prices to rise while homeownership rates among young people fall. Or we can clear the regulatory barriers, unleash American manufacturing, and restore the dream of homeownership for millions of families.

The time for half-measures is over. It’s time to regulate homes like the essential national infrastructure they are.