HUD Publishes BABA Request for Information

 

Bipartisan groups of legislators and industry advocates have raised concerns that HUD's current Build America, Buy America (BABA) waiver process is slowing down affordable home construction.

 

Most recently, Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Dave McCormick (R-PA) sent a letter to HUD Secretary Turner urging commonsense reforms to BABA and  Representatives Mike Flood (R-NE) and Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) introduced the Build Housing Affordably Act to prevent federal requirements from delaying or driving up costs on affordable housing projects.

 

Owing to the continued advocacy of these groups and individual housing agencies, HUD has published a Request for Information Regarding Products and Categories of Products Used in Housing Programs Pursuant to the Build America, Buy America Act in the Federal Register.

 

The purpose of this RFI is to get comprehensive and current information on the availability of BABA-covered products used in HUD-assisted infrastructure projects to assess domestic product availability, evaluate the need for short-term waivers, and collaborate with domestic producers to expand US manufacturing for housing infrastructure.

 

If your agency has experienced impacts as a result of BABA requirements, we encourage you to consider submitting responses to the RFI by the July 20, 2026 deadline.