Housing

Biden Rolls Out New Minimum Energy Standards for Affordable Housing

Updated efficiency standards for new federal affordable housing construction could save lower-income renters and homeowners tens of millions of dollars each year.

Workers cover insulation at a home under construction in Buda, Texas. 

Photographer: Sergio Flores/Bloomberg

The Biden administration issued new minimum energy standards for homes built with federal dollars, a move that the government says will result in millions in annual cost savings for renters and homeowners.

A bundle of building codes that set efficiency targets for insulation, windows, HVAC and other systems, the updated energy standards apply only to new affordable housing construction built with federal financing or funding.