NAHB Chairman’s Message: Helping Home Builders and the U.S. Economy
It was energizing to see so many housing industry professionals in person at the International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Orlando in February—energizing for our industry, the economy, and our association.
As the newly elected chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), I’m excited to continue the work of the men and women who came before me in the fight to protect the dream of homeownership and expand housing opportunities for all Americans.
The work we do as an association on Capitol Hill, with the White House and regulatory agencies, and in state houses and communities across the nation ensures our members can run their businesses and help keep our nation’s economy humming.
Committed to Finding Solutions to Home Building Industry Challenges
That work means finding solutions to the supply-chain issues that hinder growth in the housing industry, and to the skilled labor shortage, a lack of available lots, and the high cost of excessively burdensome regulations; all factors that harm housing affordability. NAHB continues to educate policymakers about viable solutions to these serious challenges.
Recently, the Biden Administration took a positive step when it announced it would reduce duties on shipments of Canadian lumber into the U.S. The move should help ease the extreme price swings in the lumber market that have added nearly $19,000 to the price of a new home since last summer.
And NAHB is encouraging the administration to do more, including entering into negotiations with Canada to achieve a new softwood lumber agreement that will eliminate duties; increasing the domestic supply of timber from public lands in an environmentally responsible manner; and seeking lasting remedies to the lumber and building materials supply chain disruptions that have slowed production and driven up construction costs.
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The Work of Home Building: More Important Than Ever
As a builder myself, I am keenly aware of the challenges home builders face every day. For many of us, this is a family business. We love what we do, helping people move into the homes that we build. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, homes have become even more important; they’ve become our classrooms, offices, gyms, and a sanctuary during uncertain times.
The work home builders do is more important than ever. The U.S. faces a housing shortage of more than 1 million homes, and more would-be buyers are getting priced out of the market.
NAHB’s expert staff of top economists, tax specialists, attorneys, and financial, regulatory, and building code specialists provides research, analysis, advocacy, and outreach that continues to advance our priorities. We seek a policy environment that enables our members’ businesses to thrive as they strive to provide housing that is affordable to families across the economic spectrum.
When I stood before my fellow members at IBS in February, I spoke of a culture of membership, working to help NAHB members benefit and succeed while creating a path forward to an even greater federation.
But I can’t do it alone. If you’re not yet a member of NAHB, I encourage you to join the largest network of housing professionals and help strengthen our collective voice and your business. If you’re already a member, then I encourage you to be involved at the local, state, and national levels of the federation and rally behind our common causes.
Visit nahb.org to learn more about the association and what we do to build homes, enrich communities, and change lives.
W2W4 at NAHB
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Podcast: The Housing Developments podcast offers a review of developments on Capitol Hill from NAHB CEO Jerry Howard and chief lobbyist Jim Tobin, as well as economic analysis by chief economist Robert Dietz.
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