Greater Use of Innovative Building Materials and Construction Techniques Could Reduce Housing Costs

Highlights

Because housing affordability has become an increasingly serious national problem during the last decade, GAO undertook a review to assess the role which innovative technology might play in reducing the cost of new single-family detached houses and to evaluate the federal role in developing and encouraging its use.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
Department of Housing and Urban Development	The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the President of the National Institute of Building Sciences should reexamine recommendations made in prior reports which call for a more vigorous and effective federal role in encouraging the use of innovative cost-saving technology in homebuilding. They should also: (1) determine whether some revision of internal priorities might be possible and desirable in order to direct more resources to encouraging greater use of innovative technology in homebuilding; and (2) explore other alternatives for reducing housing costs through greater use of innovative technology.	Closed – Implemented Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
National Institute of Building Sciences	The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the President of the National Institute of Building Sciences should reexamine recommendations made in prior reports which call for a more vigorous and effective federal role in encouraging the use of innovative cost-saving technology in homebuilding. They should also: (1) determine whether some revision of internal priorities might be possible and desirable in order to direct more resources to encouraging greater use of innovative technology in homebuilding; and (2) explore other alternatives for reducing housing costs through greater use of innovative technology.	Closed – Implemented Please call 202/512-6100 for information.

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Topics

Housing

Building codesConstruction industryCost controlFederal aid for housingHousing constructionMaterials researchPrioritizingTechnology transferHousingBuilding materials