Affordable HOMES Act

Bill Number

H.R. 5184

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 2

Policy Area

Energy

Status

Passed House

Latest Action

2026-01-12: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Last Updated

2026-06-11T05:06:19Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The Affordable Housing Over Mandating Efficiency Standards Act (Affordable HOMES Act) aims to promote affordable housing by allowing the Secretary of Energy to recommend adjustments to federal energy conservation standards for manufactured homes (prefabricated homes built in factories and transported to sites). It emphasizes balancing energy efficiency with cost considerations to avoid overly burdensome requirements that could increase home prices.

Key Provisions

• Recommendations Authority: Authorizes the Secretary of Energy to send recommendations to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for revising the federal energy conservation standards for manufactured homes, as set under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.
• Criteria for Recommendations: Any proposed revisions must:
• Be based on the cost-effectiveness of the standard, considering full life cycle costs (construction and ongoing operations).
• Include estimates of how the revised standard would affect the upfront purchase price of manufactured homes.
• Account for:
• Unique factory-building methods and limitations of manufactured homes.
• HUD-defined climate zones across the U.S.
• Alternative approaches that provide equal or better energy performance.
• Expected time for buyers to recoup added costs through energy savings (payback period).
• Invalidation of Prior Rule: Nullifies a 2022 Department of Energy (DOE) final rule (published May 31, 2022) that established specific energy conservation standards for manufactured homes, rendering it ineffective.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Amends Section 413 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 by:
• Rewriting subsections (a) and (b) to focus on flexible, affordability-driven recommendations rather than mandatory standards.
• Eliminating subsection (c), which likely imposed stricter or automatic implementation requirements (exact prior content not specified in the bill).
• Shifts from rigid federal standards to a recommendation-based process, giving HUD discretion over revisions while prioritizing economic impacts over pure efficiency gains.
• Overrides the 2022 rule, which preempted (overrode) varying state-level standards with uniform federal ones, effectively pausing stricter national enforcement until new recommendations are considered.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: Enhances coordination between DOE and HUD, allowing DOE to influence standards indirectly through recommendations. This could reduce DOE's regulatory burden but increase HUD's role in final decisions on housing standards.
• On Citizens: Lowers potential barriers to affordable housing by mitigating price hikes from energy standards, benefiting low- and middle-income buyers of manufactured homes (a key option for first-time or rural homebuyers). However, it may slow progress on energy savings, leading to higher long-term utility bills for some households.
• On International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses on domestic housing and energy policy.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Federal Agencies: DOE (provides recommendations) and HUD (receives and implements them).
• Manufactured Home Industry: Manufacturers and builders, who benefit from standards that consider factory constraints and avoid cost increases.
• Homebuyers and Residents: Particularly those seeking affordable options, such as low-income families, veterans, or rural communities relying on manufactured housing.
• Energy and Environmental Groups: Potentially adversely affected if revisions weaken efficiency requirements, leading to higher national energy use.
• State Governments: Less direct influence on standards due to federal preemption, but they may regain flexibility if national rules are relaxed.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Reinforces federal preemption of state energy standards for manufactured homes (under the 1974 Act), ensuring uniformity but now with affordability checks to prevent challenges under administrative law for being arbitrary or overly costly. The nullification of the 2022 rule could invite lawsuits from environmental advocates arguing it undermines energy policy goals.
• Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's authority over interstate commerce (manufactured homes cross state lines), but may raise questions about balancing federal energy mandates with property rights if standards are seen as infringing on affordable housing access.
• Political: Highlights tensions between housing affordability and climate goals, potentially appealing to pro-business and rural constituencies while drawing criticism from progressive environmentalists. As a referred bill (H.R. 5184, passed House in 2026), it signals bipartisan interest in deregulation for housing but could spark debates on energy independence.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Houchin, Erin [R-IN-9]

Cosponsors (5)

Rep. Flood, Mike [R-NE-1], Rep. Shreve, Jefferson [R-IN-6], Rep. Auchincloss, Jake [D-MA-4], Rep. Edwards, Chuck [R-NC-11], Rep. Goldman, Craig A. [R-TX-12]

Recent Actions

• 2026-01-12: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
• 2026-01-09: The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
• 2026-01-09: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
• 2026-01-09: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 263 - 147 (Roll no. 12). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H595) (Roll call 12)
• 2026-01-09: Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 263 - 147 (Roll no. 12). (Roll call 12)
• 2026-01-09: The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
• 2026-01-09: DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 5184.
• 2026-01-09: Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4593, H.R. 5184 and H.R. 6938. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 4593, H.R. 5184, and H.R. 6938 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate and provides for one motion to recommit on each bill.
• 2026-01-09: Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 977. (consideration: CR H595-604)
• 2026-01-07: Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 977 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4593, H.R. 5184 and H.R. 6938. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 4593, H.R. 5184, and H.R. 6938 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate and provides for one motion to recommit on each bill.
• 2025-12-30: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 365.
• 2025-12-30: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 119-419.
• 2025-12-30: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 119-419.
• 2025-12-03: Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 30 - 16.
• 2025-12-03: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

Bill Versions

• Affordable Housing Over Mandating Efficiency Standards Act — issued 2026-01-09 — PDF (6 pages)
• Affordable Housing Over Mandating Efficiency Standards Act — issued 2025-09-08 — PDF (2 pages)
• Affordable Housing Over Mandating Efficiency Standards Act — issued 2026-01-12 — PDF (4 pages)
• Affordable Housing Over Mandating Efficiency Standards Act — issued 2025-12-30 — PDF (6 pages)

Related Bills

• H.Res. 977 (119th Congress)