United States Senator Bill Hagerty introduced the Freedom to Build Act on April 14, which aims to reduce regulatory barriers, expand housing supply, and make new homes more affordable. The legislation would incentivize local governments to streamline regulations and fast-track home construction by offering priority consideration for existing federal housing grants.
The issue of housing affordability has become a growing concern across the country. According to the 2026 Economic Report of the President, government regulations can add over $100,000 to the cost of a new home and limit new construction. The Freedom to Build Act seeks to address this by encouraging communities to adopt policies that promote innovation in building, defend property rights, and consistently expand their housing supply.
“For many Americans, the dream of owning a home is increasingly out of reach, and excessive regulations have made new homes too costly for many American families,” said Senator Hagerty. “My Freedom to Build Act streamlines costly and often redundant regulations to reduce the cost of a new home in our country.”
The bill has received endorsements from several industry leaders. Bill Owens, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders, said: “Senator Hagerty’s Freedom to Build Act provides important incentives for communities to voluntarily take steps to improve the home building process at the local level.” Ken Gear, CEO of Leading Builders of America added: “The Freedom to Build Act will unlock innovation in building technology… Federal infrastructure, community development and housing funds should be prioritized to communities that do their part.” Sharon Wilson Géno from National Multifamily Housing Council said: “America’s affordability challenges won’t be solved without building much more badly needed housing… By cutting red tape… we can reduce housing costs.” Jeffrey D. DeBoer from The Real Estate Roundtable called it “a meaningful step toward expanding housing supply and improving affordability for working families.” Bill Killmer from Mortgage Bankers Association also commended Hagerty’s efforts.
Hagerty was elected as U.S. Senator from Tennessee according to his official website. He serves on Senate committees including Appropriations; Banking; Housing and Urban Affairs; Foreign Relations; and Rules and Administration according to his official website. He is originally from Sumner County where he achieved Eagle Scout rank according to his official website, volunteers with civic organizations according to his official website, maintains offices throughout Tennessee including Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Jackson and Tri-Cities area according to his official website, ran on a platform emphasizing national security and economic development with experience as U.S. Ambassador to Japan as noted on his official website.
Supporters say aligning federal incentives with local policy changes could help lower costs for buyers while increasing transparency about how municipalities are working toward greater housing availability.