Governor Merrill and Omaha mayor pledge to 'clean the closets' of regulations to speed housing
May 22, 2026 | Office of Policy Development and Research, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Executive, Federal
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State and city officials said they will pursue regulatory reforms and workforce investments to accelerate construction of affordable and workforce housing in Omaha.
"There's a lot of codes that are not creating value... All they're doing is increasing the cost," Governor Merrill said, urging a review of local building and zoning rules to make homebuilding less expensive and faster. Merrill gave specific examples including outdated material requirements (he said "we don't need copper pipes in housing anymore") and overly wide street specifications that increase infrastructure costs.
Mayor Ewing said the city will examine alternative construction methods — including structural insulated panels and prefabricated housing — and noted the city’s existing affordable housing task force will review building and zoning options to partner better with developers.
Secretary Turner framed the federal contribution as regulatory guidance and example-sharing. He pointed to recent executive actions and administrative steps intended to reduce barriers to building, and said HUD had rescinded a prior "final determination" tied to an international energy conservation code because of cost impacts. "These codes can add up to $30,000 per project, per home," Turner said in explaining the decision to remove that barrier.
Workforce training was presented as part of the solution: Governor Merrill highlighted expanded state investment in community colleges and career programs to create more electricians, carpenters and welders and cited growth in related K–12 programs.
Why it matters: Officials argued that reducing duplicative inspections and onerous local requirements, paired with training more skilled tradespeople, will reduce construction costs and help more Nebraskans achieve homeownership.
What’s next: City and state leaders pledged to take inventory of local regulations, use HUD best practices as a reference and press forward on zoning and code reviews. Officials said these changes would be matched with workforce development funding so new housing supply can be built and occupied quickly.
"There's a lot of codes that are not creating value... All they're doing is increasing the cost," Governor Merrill said, urging a review of local building and zoning rules to make homebuilding less expensive and faster. Merrill gave specific examples including outdated material requirements (he said "we don't need copper pipes in housing anymore") and overly wide street specifications that increase infrastructure costs.
Mayor Ewing said the city will examine alternative construction methods — including structural insulated panels and prefabricated housing — and noted the city’s existing affordable housing task force will review building and zoning options to partner better with developers.
Secretary Turner framed the federal contribution as regulatory guidance and example-sharing. He pointed to recent executive actions and administrative steps intended to reduce barriers to building, and said HUD had rescinded a prior "final determination" tied to an international energy conservation code because of cost impacts. "These codes can add up to $30,000 per project, per home," Turner said in explaining the decision to remove that barrier.
Workforce training was presented as part of the solution: Governor Merrill highlighted expanded state investment in community colleges and career programs to create more electricians, carpenters and welders and cited growth in related K–12 programs.
Why it matters: Officials argued that reducing duplicative inspections and onerous local requirements, paired with training more skilled tradespeople, will reduce construction costs and help more Nebraskans achieve homeownership.
What’s next: City and state leaders pledged to take inventory of local regulations, use HUD best practices as a reference and press forward on zoning and code reviews. Officials said these changes would be matched with workforce development funding so new housing supply can be built and occupied quickly.
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