NAHB Chairman Randy Noel recently shared the following message with members:
As we say goodbye to 2018, let's celebrate NAHB's many achievements in the past year. We can't list them all, but these are some of the most important.
HBA and member efforts to grow NAHB paid off with the addition of 2,000 new members nationwide, the best net improvement in more than a decade. What a great achievement! Thanks to all for the hard work and good will.
As if home building wasn’t already challenging, builders have been struggling with a labor shortage for several years. A much-appreciated $50 million grant from the Home Depot Foundation to HBI will enable it to train 20,000 new skilled workers over the next 10 years, truly something to celebrate.
Part of building a home is making sure it meets all applicable building codes. NAHB works hard to ensure those codes are reasonable and fair. In 2018, we asked members to explain the builder perspective to their local codes officials in a new campaign called “One and Done.” Those efforts had a big impact.
Portal goes online. Nope, not a gateway to another galaxy. NAHB’s new housing portal is a website that delivers a wide range of housing and polling data specific to congressional districts and major metropolitan areas. Produced in cooperation with Morning Consult, this tool enables builders demonstrate the importance of the housing industry to policy makers.
Yes, we worked closely with the Trump administration to push for much-needed regulatory reforms. We saw tangible progress on many issues, including labor rules, environmental regulations, housing finance requirements and other federal policies that affect home building.
Negotiate Now! was just one of the messages we sent to the administration regarding lumber prices. Even though there have been no negotiations with Canada to date, our multidimensional efforts have been effective. Lumber prices are down more than 40% from the peak in June. Bravo.
Effective (actually superb) advocacy is one of NAHB’s many strengths. Washington’s influential insider magazine, The Hill, acknowledged that prowess by naming CEO Jerry Howard to its annual list of DC’s top lobbyists.
WOTUS: Permanently replacing the Obama administration’s overreaching definition of Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) is well on its way to becoming a reality thanks to NAHB’s relentless regulatory reform effort. This is a big win for builders.
You’re right, said the U.S. Supreme Court (unanimously!) in response to a member challenge supported by NAHB. There’s no need to set aside habitat for a frog that isn’t there. What will the bureaucrats do next, look for the Yeti?
Eighty-five percent of the 245 House and Senate candidates NAHB endorsed in the midterm election won their races thanks to NAHB’s efforts to ensure that housing’s voice is heard in Congress. Endorsements were based on HBA input. In an unusual election year, this was a big win.
Advantage is the name of the game with NAHB’s Member Advantage affinity programs. We added several in 2018: Nissan/Infiniti, Amazon Business, Capital One card and Kabbage small business loans. Member savings – what a concept.
Reform of the nation’s tax code in 2017 provided real benefits for members. NAHB worked with the IRS in 2018 to ensure that subsequent regulations support builders, consumers and small businesses. Case in point: At NAHB’s request, the IRS looked at HELOCS and determined they are deductible for home improvements.
