What could have been in the EO:

• 3 million new homes over four years
• tax incentives for builders
• a $40 billion affordable-housing fund

What the EO actually does:

• trims federal (not local) permitting and regulatory friction
• pushes best practices for states and cities
• leans toward single-family / manufactured housing

What it does not do:

• override local zoning
• remove density caps
• cut minimum lot sizes

That distinction matters.

Austin’s rent drop followed a real supply surge:
about 120,000 units, roughly 30% more housing stock.

That pushed vacancies up, landlord leverage down, and rents lower, including for lower-end units.

Austin changed the local rules that block supply.
This EO doesn’t come close to reproducing that mechanism at scale.