President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Friday aimed at slashing regulations that have slowed home-building and complicated the lending process as the president zeroes in on his house affordability agenda. One order seeks to take federal regulatory burdens off of homebuilders, streamline federal permitting for housing developments, and develop regulatory best practices for state and local governments to follow. The other order would “improve the availability and affordability of mortgage credit” and ease regulations that have especially affected local lenders, such as community banks, according to the White House. “It is the policy of my Administration to reduce regulatory barriers to building homes and to steward taxpayer dollars in a manner that promotes housing affordability,” one of the orders states. Trump’s move to address housing affordability comes as the White House focuses on tackling economic issues ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Housing costs remain on the forefront of many Americans’ minds after prices jumped in the years after the COVID pandemic, when construction significantly slowed. “The American dream of homeownership depends on a dynamic housing market in which a varied inventory of new homes is built and renovated each year,” Trump’s executive order added. “Layers of unnecessary regulatory barriers, slow permitting processes, and onerous mandates at all levels of government have delayed construction, restricted development, and driven up the costs of new housing. These constraints have made housing less affordable for many Americans.” On Thursday, the Senate easily passed legislation that would ease regulations and prevent corporations from buying single-family homes. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), who sponsored the bill alongside Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), called the bill “consequential legislation that makes it easier to become a homeowner.” The Senate bill would also streamline environmental reviews and inspections, which would likely speed up the homebuilding process. The bill, which passed 89-10 in the Senate, now heads to the House, where it faces an unknown future. Leaders in the House, which passed similar legislation earlier this year, have expressed opposition to some parts of the Senate bill. Even if the House passes the housing bill, it’s unclear how soon President Trump would sign it. Trump said last week that he would not sign any piece of legislation until the Senate passed the SAVE America Act. On mortgage rates, the Trump administration believes slashing regulations will allow more lenders to compete in the game and thereby drive down borrowing costs. The White House said that its action on mortgage aims to “reduce the regulatory burden on community banks and otherwise facilitate community bank engagement in mortgage activity; foster innovation, growth, and consumer choice in the mortgage market; modernize origination and closing standards to reduce lending costs; remove regulatory distortions to the structure of the mortgage market and to ensure capital and liquidity frameworks subject similar credit and liquidity risks to similar regulation across the system; promote competition among mortgage lenders of all charter types to drive down mortgage rates; and strengthen housing-finance liquidity.” Trump also continues to pressure Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to further lower the interest rate, which has dropped to the 3.50%-3.75% range. The Federal Reserve is set to meet next week to decide whether to move the interest rate or keep it steady. “Where is the Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell, today? He should be dropping Interest Rates, IMMEDIATELY, not waiting for the next meeting,” Trump said on Thursday.