NAHB's new Online Career Center
is a cost-effective recruiting solution that helps you find qualified candidates for job openings at your company.

After months of tough work to make sure that NAHB's career center is as helpful to our members as possible, the final product was successfully launched on March 20. It's available on NAHB's Web site at www.nahb.org/careers and is a regular feature of Nation's Building News Online. This ground-breaking endeavor was developed in conjunction with ConstructionJobs.com, a leading employment resource for the construction, design and building industries. Members can advertise their job openings at a 20% discount from standard rates. Plus, with more than 2,500 new resumes posted monthly and over 28,000 construction and engineering candidates currently listed, you have a great inventory of job-seekers from which to choose right now. Contact: Tiffany Smith, x8273.

The Online Career Center is a great NAHB member benefit that's aimed at helping you quickly and efficiently fill job openings so you can get on with the business of home building. Discounted rates for NAHB member advertising — and the site's draw of over 150,000 visitors per month — make this an excellent tool and just one more way that your NAHB membership can pay for itself.

A quick reference sheet on our top advocacy issues
is another new resource at NAHB members' fingertips. Originally developed for the NAHB Executive Board, the NAHB Quick Issues Index lists 22 of our top advocacy issues along with the most recent moves that your national association has taken on them in your behalf. NAHB First Vice President Brian Catalde directed the creation of this resource for the latest Executive Board meeting in Pinehurst, NC, and since then, we've fielded lots of calls for the handy list from within the federation. While information contained in the document is not meant to be comprehensive and is not intended for a general audience, EOs and members who are particularly interested in our advocacy agenda may find it helpful. The document also lists Web addresses and staff contacts for anyone requiring additional information. Contact: Jessica Lynch (x8401) or Samantha Ehrhart (x8450). [return to top]

HBAs dealing with moratoria and infill development issues
in the press can get assistance with their media relations efforts from NAHB. Because such topics fall wholly in the area of local land use decisions, NAHB refers all related media inquiries to our local affiliates. But that doesn't mean we aren't here to help. For example, you can find sample talking points on moratoria, infill development and many other issues on a special section of NAHB's Web site. These speaking notes can be revised to fit your specific circumstances and needs. Also, HBAs and their members have access to NAHB staff resources, including experts in nearly every industry catagory. For the above issues, please contact Blake Smith at x8583.

NAHB's assistance to local HBAs in the area of press relations is just one way that the expertise and resources of our nationwide federation benefit our grassroots members. By coordinating the messages of HBAs across the country, we also reinforce and strengthen the united voice of home builders nationwide. [return to top]

A $1 million grant to the National Housing Endowment
will substantially advance our philanthropic arm's efforts to support innovative and effective programs that further industry education, training and research. Presented to the Endowment by the M/I Homes Foundation, a charitable organization funded by M/I Homes, Inc. of Columbus, OH, this generous gift deserves the wholehearted thanks and applause of every NAHB member. For 2006, the National Housing Endowment is focused on increasing the number of qualified graduates entering the residential construction profession, and M/I Homes' gift will significantly advance this goal. The substantial donation means that Steven Schottenstein, CEO and Director of M/I Homes, will join the Endowment's elite group of Life Trustees — seven-figure donors whose leadership and committment have made all the difference in home builders' charitable efforts. See our press release for more information, or contact Bruce Silver, x8274.

The National Housing Endowment's mission is to secure the American Dream for future generations.  In addition to its efforts to expand a qualified workforce for our members, the Endowment shows how much home builders care about the neighborhoods they build and the people who live in them. [return to top]

Green building is on an upward trajectory
that will likely expand its market share from $7.4 billion and 2% of housing starts last year to $19-$38 billion and 5%-10% of residential construction activity in 2010. That's according to Harvey Bernstein, Vice President of Industry Analytics and Alliances for McGraw-Hill Construction, who was alluding to results of a survey that was conducted by NAHB and McGraw-Hill near the beginning of this year.  Preliminary results of the survey were released during NAHB's National Green Building Conference, held recently in Albuquerque, NM. The data indicates that there was a 20% increase in 2005 among those in the home building community who are focusing their attention on green building issues, and that the ranks of eco-conscious builders could increase by another 30% this year. In essence, "Green building is at a tipping point among the builder population," Bernstein said. Read more about this important study, and the National Green Building Conference, in the last edition of Nation's Building News Online, or contact Calli Schmidt at x8132. 

Through NAHB's voluntary Model Green Home Building Guidelines, our National Green Building Conference and other initiatives, our association is doing all it can to help our members who want to apply innovative and environmentally sensitive construction techniques and products to reduce energy and water consumption and improve residential comfort and safety.  [return to top]

Working families with children are less likely to be homeowners
in today's world than they were back in the 1970s, according to a newly released study from the National Housing Conference's Center for Housing Policy. The report, called "Locked Out: Keys to Homeownership Elude Many Working Families," unveils some disturbing trends in the last several decades, including the fact that the homeownership gap between white and minority working families with children actually worsened between 1978 and 2003. One factor that has contributed to the challenges families face is the fact that, back in 1978, single-parent households comprised just 18% of working families with children, compared to 36% as of 2003. The Center's surprising findings indicate that much more needs to be done to expand the availability of affordable workforce housing in communities nationwide. They also add further weight to builders' concerns regarding the availability of affordable housing - an issue that was rated among our Top 10 Critical Issues in a recent NAHB survey. Contact: Michele Anapol at the Center for Housing Policy, 202-466-2121, x226. [return to top]

Take the NBN Online readership survey
and help make a great NAHB member resource even better. Nation's Building News Online provides comprehensive coverage of building industry news each and every week, and readers of this report are frequently provided links to NBN stories for more information. Now is your chance to tell us how we're doing, what news you're most interested in, and what you'd like to see more of. NBN Online prides itself in bringing you news you can use on a daily basis, and it's a significant benefit of your NAHB membership. Take just a minute from your busy day and fill out our quick online survey. As always, we appreciate your input!  Contact: Elliott Finkelstein, x8055. [return to top]