Housing policy watchers may want to look beyond zoning wars and start squinting at sprinklers, stairwells, and elevators.

Building codes have existed for thousands of years. In the Code of Hammurabi, written between 1755 B.C. and 1750 B.C., item 229 states that “if a builder builds a house for someone and does not ...

Los Angeles, CA - September 23: A view of a homeless encampment on Skid Row on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021 in Los Angeles, CA. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Back in September I ...

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, two feet of rain fell on western North Carolina, damaging or sweeping away thousands of houses in landslides and floods. At least 101 people died. In many cases, ...

After Category 5 Hurricane Michael slammed into Mexico Beach, Fla., in 2018, there was a dramatic contrast in destruction: homes built at or beyond state building codes still stood, whereas many of ...

For the past 25 years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has helped develop building codes, the construction standards that help houses survive hurricanes, wildfires and earthquakes. Now, ...

As the United States faces a mounting housing affordability crisis, a debate is intensifying between home builders and code officials over how best to balance costs, safety, and long-term efficiency ...

The Biden administration announced Tuesday it will open applications for the first tranche of funding — $400 million — to help states and territories take up energy-efficient building codes. A senior ...