(The Lion) — President Donald Trump signed two executive orders Friday designed to boost new home construction and mortgage lending by smaller banks, reversing policies enacted under Democrat administrations.
The orders are part of his ongoing attempts to boost homeownership, which he called “the American Dream.” “We want America to be a nation of owners, not renters,” Trump said in a video of him signing the two orders.
Donald J. Trump Truth Social Post of Video 10:36 PM EST 03.16.26
President Trump signs two executive orders taking steps to making homes more affordable and accessible for the American people. pic.twitter.com/s8lxl6xKvn
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) March 17, 2026
Mortgage rates are at a five-year low, something Trump hopes will help Republicans in the November midterm elections, but how much impact the new changes will have by then remains unclear.
The first order directs the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and regulators to adjust rules to make it easier for smaller banks to compete in the mortgage market.
Trump said lending by small, community banks has dropped by half in the last 20 years, “largely because of burdensome, unnecessary regulations that radical liberals imposed on community lenders for the benefit of their donors on Wall Street and frankly, for the benefit of themselves. The result was less competition and higher mortgage rates for hardworking Americans like you.”
The order comes after a housing bill that passed the Senate faces an uncertain future in the House, American Banker reported. The House version lacks measures tailored for smaller banks. Trump is supporting the Senate version, which includes restrictions on large companies and investors buying up single-family homes.
Even if regulators work to lift restrictions enacted by the Dodd-Frank Act, which passed in 2010, it can take years to complete the rulemaking process.
Even so, both the American Bankers Association and the Consumer Bankers Association praised the move, saying it would boost the ability of “community and regional banks” to enter the mortgage market.
Lowering construction costs
For homebuilders, Trump’s order will roll back “ridiculous regulations” enacted by state and local governments under the Biden administration’s “green new scam,” that drove up construction costs, Trump said.
“With my order today, we will slash many of these pointless regulations that do nothing for safety and add lots of costs,” he said. “It’s really unfair to the homebuyers, and ultimately, they’re the ones paying for this disaster.”
Trump took pride in signing the orders on camera, where he once again mocked Biden by saying, “No auto pen, OK? That’s my real signature. It’s not an auto pen like you had in the past.”
The president also affirmed that the country “is doing really well,” and said his administration wants “to make it possible for every American to live that American dream in a beautiful home, and it’s really the one that they pick. It’s going to be the apple of their eye.”
