Posts by bblack_bentley@westtnhba.com

NAHB, Builders Score Big Win in SCOTUS Decision on WOTUS In a major victory for NAHB, builders, developers and property owners, the Supreme Court on May 25 issued a unanimous decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency that will force the Biden administration to overhaul its “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) rule and ultimately provide builders and…

Lack of Resales Provides Boost to New Home Sales in April Stabilizing mortgage rates and a lack of resale inventory provided a boost for new home sales in April, even as builders continue to wrestle with rising costs stemming from shortages of transformers and other building materials and a persistent lack of construction workers. Sales…

Government Plan to Adopt Latest Energy Codes a Blow to Housing Affordability In a move that will raise housing costs, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are proposing to increase the stringency of energy codes for the new construction of HUD-insured and…

Two-Year Pilot Program Confirms Need for Mental Health Resources in Construction A pilot program focused on mental health issues in the residential construction industry recently confirmed the need for a more deliberate and permanent effort to reduce the stigma of discussing mental health within the construction industry. Leaders in the construction industry are encouraged to…

Lake Coulson Named Chief Lobbyist for NAHB The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) announced today that Lake Coulson has been named as its new senior vice president for government affairs and chief lobbyist, taking over for Jim Tobin who was recently appointed CEO of the association. A dedicated government affairs professional with more than…

Bipartisan House and Senate Bills Would Boost Housing Production The House and Senate have introduced identical bipartisan bills supported by NAHB that will improve the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and allow builders to increase production of badly needed affordable housing. The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act was introduced in the Senate (S. 1557) by Sens.…

How Municipalities Can Address Housing Affordability Through Code and Zoning Reform Historical patterns of land use policy and zoning have either disincentivized or disallowed production of various housing types and price points. Many U.S. cities have zoned the majority of their residential land for single-family detached housing, which not is not the right choice for…

New CEO to Take the Helm at the National Association of Home Builders The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing the housing industry, has named James W. Tobin III as the association’s new president and chief executive officer. Tobin, executive vice president and chief lobbyist at NAHB, will succeed…

National Fall Safety Stand-Down Support OSHA’s Annual National Safety Stand-Down OSHA is partnering with employers and trade associations on its National Safety Stand-Down for fall prevention in construction, which will take place May 1-5, 2023. The safety stand-down is designed to raise awareness about the hazards of falls, which are responsible for the highest number of deaths…

Global Innovation Award Winner Looks to Perfect 3-D Printed Homes When Black Buffalo 3D appeared at the 2023 International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Las Vegas in February, their team was surprised when it was announced they were the recipients of the Global Innovation Awards’ Gold Award for Building Material and Structural Component. “My [acceptance] speech was not pre-written…