GAO Report Outlines Technologies and Policy Options to Boost Housing Supply

The Government Accountability Office released report GAO-27-108037, presenting a suite of construction technologies and 14 policy options intended to increase housing supply and improve affordability. The guidance targets federal agencies, state and regional building-code authorities, developers, and consumers.

The assessment groups innovations into three categories - planning and design, construction means and methods, and building materials and components. Potential benefits include faster project timelines, lower material waste, and enhanced regulatory decision-making. GAO notes that adoption faces hurdles such as compliance with more than 20,000 local building codes, workforce training gaps, and high up-front costs.

Five policy subgoals structure the recommendations. To streamline regulation, GAO proposes establishing state or regional code authorities with interstate reciprocity, creating regulatory pathways for new technologies, standardizing oversize-load permitting, supporting zoning that enables innovative builds, and scaling pre-approved design libraries. Financial barriers could be eased through incentives for suppliers and consumers. Production capacity may be expanded by broadening vocational and technical education, partnering with labor unions, and certifying inspectors in novel methods. Public acceptance could be bolstered by education campaigns, while government resources could be optimized via increased adoption support, a national housing-construction data infrastructure, and prioritized R&D.

GAO's methodology included a literature review, interviews with government, industry, academia, nonprofit, and trade-association representatives, site visits, conference attendance, and a 2-day meeting of 17 experts. For further details, contact Karen L. Howard at howardk@gao.gov.