NAHB News
NAHB Offering Educational Webinars Throughout June
NAHB Education is offering a variety of dynamic webinars for industry professionals during the month of June. These webinars are specifically designed to help participants expand their knowledge on emerging trends and research, and develop valuable skills, all while learning in a safe environment.
Read MoreNew OSHA Guidance: COVID-19 Illnesses Not Recordable for Construction
OSHA revised its guidance on whether employers are required to record cases of COVID-19 in their Form 300 Logs for reporting occupational injuries and illnesses.
Until further notice, OSHA will not enforce its recordkeeping requirements to require these employers to make work-relatedness determinations for COVID-19 cases, except where: (1) There is objective evidence that a COVID-19 case may be work-related; and (2) The evidence was reasonably available to the employer.
Read MoreHow to Obtain an SBA Loan and Have it Forgiven
In recent weeks, Congress has adopted three bills aimed at stabilizing the economy, with more to come. The most notable of these was the $2.2 stimulus package (the CARES Act) that President Trump signed into law on March 27. This law contains a nearly $350 billion federal small business loan protection program called the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that will provide significant loan forgiveness for small businesses with fewer than 500 employees if employers meet certain criteria.
Read MoreDHS Designates Residential Construction as “Essential Infrastructure Business”
On March 28, 2020, in a critical win for NAHB and the residential construction sector, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designated construction of single-family and multifamily housing as an “Essential Infrastructure Business.”
The designation will enable many home building firms to keep their businesses open during the COVID-19 pandemic and help to stabilize the housing industry and its supply chain in the near term.
Read MoreSenate Approves $2.2 Trillion Economic Stimulus Package
The Senate shortly before midnight voted unanimously to approve a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus package in response to the coronavirus pandemic that has wreaked havoc on the U.S. economy. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act includes several provisions to help small businesses and those engaged in the residential construction sector.
Read MoreRising Headwinds Exist for Housing Construction
According to estimates from the Housing and Urban Development and Commerce Departments, single-family starts expanded in February. Construction activity was accelerated earlier in the year due to warmer weather. Despite the strong start for 2020, significant and rising headwinds exist for housing construction due to coronavirus mitigation efforts.
Read MoreHouse Passes Coronavirus Bill
The House recently passed a bill that would guarantee free coronavirus testing, establish paid leave for all employees and enhance unemployment insurance. The Senate is expected to pass the bill in the coming days, and President Trump has indicated his support. The three major components of this bill that will affect businesses of all sizes include: paid family and medical leave; paid sick leave; and new tax credits.
Read MoreBuilder Confidence in 55+ Housing Drops Slightly
Builder confidence in the single-family 55+ housing market dropped four points to 68 in the fourth quarter, according to the NAHB 55+ Housing Market Index (HMI) released on January 30, 2020. The 55+ HMI measures two segments of the 55+ housing market: single-family homes and multifamily condominiums. Each segment of the 55+ HMI measures builder…
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