AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL APPLAUDS TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS TO UNLOCK AMERICA’S HOUSING SUPPLY

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Wood Council (AWC) today commended President Trump for signing executive orders to streamline federal permitting under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and to unlock the affordable housing provisions advanced in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including the landmark permanent extension of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). These actions reflect the bold, supply-side leadership that America’s housing market urgently needs.

“The forest products industry is hurting. More than 60 wood product facilities have closed since 2022, and domestic manufacturers are operating below breakeven — not because of a lack of capacity or skill, but because housing starts have collapsed. Today’s executive orders help change that. By unlocking the permanent extension of LIHTC in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and cutting the permitting delays that add months to every project, President Trump is giving builders the runway they need to get shovels in the ground.” said Jackson Morrill, CEO, American Wood Council.

Despite these encouraging steps, housing starts remain deeply depressed, and much more must be done. The United States faces a structural housing deficit of 4 to 5 million units. The median first-time homebuyer is now 38 years old, up from 31 just a decade ago, as millions of Americans are priced out of the market entirely. Executive action alone cannot close a gap this large.

Housing is the wood products industry’s most important market — 94% of single-family homes are built using wood products. Without a meaningful increase in housing starts, additional facility closures are inevitable, devastating the rural communities that depend on these jobs. Forest Economic Advisors estimates that the permanent extension LIHTC alone will generate approximately 1.9 billion board feet of additional lumber demand — a significant boost, but not nearly enough on its own.

AWC calls on the White House to champion the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act (NHIA) as the next critical step to supercharge the domestic housing supply. By bridging the “value gap” between construction costs and market home prices in low-income communities through a targeted federal tax credit, the NHIA would support the construction or rehabilitation of approximately 500,000 affordable, owner-occupied homes over the next decade, catalyze $125 billion in total development, create 861,000 construction-related jobs, and generate $28 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenue. AWC also supports the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which includes important provisions to accelerate housing starts, streamline permitting further, and expand support for manufactured housing. AWC urges the administration to encourage conferencing of these bills into a robust final package that includes the NHIA.

“President Trump’s background in real estate gives him a unique understanding of what it takes to build. We urge him to use that expertise to champion the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act and make affordable homeownership a reality for millions of Americans.” said Jackson Morrill, CEO, American Wood Council.