THE PAVE ACT

The PAVE Act — Permit Approval for Vital Establishments

Get Government Out of the Way — Housing Construction Reform

The PAVE Act — Permit Approval for Vital Establishments
Government Red Tape Is Making Your Home Unaffordable.

The housing affordability crisis isn't just a market problem — it's a government-made problem. A 2026 study by the National Association of Home Builders found that federal, state, and local regulations add $131,734 to the cost of a single new home — representing 26.4% of the average sales price. That cost doesn't appear on a permit application. It gets quietly baked into the price every buyer pays. TileLetter

Even more alarming: regulatory costs have increased more than 40% since 2021, while disposable income grew only 18.3% over the same period — meaning regulatory costs are rising more than twice as fast as people's ability to pay them. TileLetter

Wisconsin can't fix federal regulations. But it can fix its own.

Streamline Zoning Approvals

Outdated zoning rules prevent the construction of starter homes, townhomes, and workforce housing in communities that desperately need them. Reive will push for zoning reform that removes unnecessary barriers to residential construction — including reducing minimum lot size requirements that artificially restrict how many homes can be built on available land, and streamlining multi-step approval processes that add months to every new build without adding value to the finished home.

Time-Limited Permit Windows — Government Has to Act

One of the most costly and least discussed drivers of housing unaffordability is simple bureaucratic delay. Nearly 94% of developers reported that regulatory compliance caused delays averaging roughly seven months — and every month of delay accrues interest on development and construction loans, costs that are passed directly to the buyer. World Property Journal

The PAVE Act establishes mandatory permit approval windows. If a government body does not act on a permit application within a defined timeframe, the permit is approved. Builders and buyers should not be held hostage to government inaction.

Eliminate Fees That Don't Serve Public Safety

Of the $131,734 in average regulatory costs, $84,939 is incurred during the construction phase — driven largely by higher building permit fees and changes to building codes. Not all of these fees and code requirements serve a genuine public safety purpose. Reive will push for a systematic review of Wisconsin's construction-phase regulatory requirements to eliminate fees and mandates that add cost without meaningfully improving safety — bringing those savings directly to homebuyers. TileLetter

The Bottom Line:

Every unnecessary regulation, every delayed permit, and every unjustified fee gets passed to the buyer. The PAVE Act removes the government-created obstacles driving up the cost of every new home in Wisconsin — without spending a single taxpayer dollar.