Peters, Lawler Call for Building Code Reforms to Lower Multifamily Housing Costs

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representatives Scott Peters (CA-50) and Mike Lawler (NY-17) led 9 Members on a bipartisan letter to International Code Council (ICC) President Mike Boso calling for stronger action to address the rising costs of multifamily housing in upcoming updates to the International Building Code (IBC). The ICC is the leading global source of building codes and standards to ensure safe, sustainable, and affordable construction. 

As families across the country continue to face rising costs, the letter underscores the growing burden of housing expenses and the need for building standards that better reflect today’s housing landscape. 

“Families across the country continue to face rising costs, and housing remains one of the most significant pressures on their budgets,” the Members wrote. “As Members of Congress, we know affordability is a top concern for our constituents.” 

The letter emphasizes that while building codes play a critical role in ensuring safety, outdated or overly prescriptive standards can unnecessarily drive-up construction costs, particularly for multifamily housing, which is increasingly in demand. 

To address these challenges, the Members urge the ICC to expand its focus on affordability within the IBC and consider incorporating internationally recognized standards that maintain safety while reducing costs. 

“We believe the ICC and other standard-writing organizations have a responsibility to ensure their codes strike the right balance: maintaining the life-safety systems that protect occupants and first responders while eliminating duplicative, outdated, or unnecessarily prescriptive provisions that drive up costs without improving safety,” the Members wrote. 

The letter calls for increased research, stakeholder engagement, and policy updates to ensure that future building codes support the development of high-quality, affordable housing; “These actions would help ensure that future code updates support the development of safe, high-quality, and affordable housing at the scale Americans need,” the Members concluded. 

Read the full letter here.

Background: 

Rep. Peters has made addressing housing affordability and homelessness a central focus of his work in Congress, particularly in response to rising rents and housing shortages in San Diego. He has championed policies to increase the supply of affordable housing, support building higher-density housing near transit, and ban income discrimination in housing. He is also a member of the Build American Caucus – a bipartisan group of lawmakers working to expedite infrastructure development.