Employing an all-new format this time around, the one-day event was designed to be more engaging, more interactive and more efficient than that of previous board meetings, all of which met with the approval of attendees. New staging and lighting elements, an increased focus on multimedia presentations and a condensed schedule were just some of the many obvious changes, more of which are to come in the future.

NAHB President Brian Catalde, having flown to Seattle immediately following a closed-door meeting with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, provided board members with a complete report on the actions that NAHB is taking to help resolve the liquidity crisis in mortgage markets – including meeting with key government officials such as Bernanke as well as representatives of major lenders and credit rating agencies; pushing OFHEO to extend portfolio caps for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; pursuing needed FHA reform measures in Congress; developing new resources to help our members through this difficult time; and coordinating our response to the situation with other industry stakeholders. At the conclusion of the meeting, the NAHB Board signaled that finding a resolution to the crisis at hand is our top priority and cemented our strategy for going forward by approving an important Resolution titled "Addressing the Mortgage Credit Crunch" that urges numerous and specific actions to be taken or explored by government officials and regulators.

Immediately prior to the Board meeting, NAHB released a statement in support of policy changes announced by President Bush on Aug. 31 that are designed to help the growing number of home owners who are facing default as a result of the subprime mortgage crisis. The plan to allow the FHA to insure refinance loans for some struggling borrowers, coupled with the Bush Administration's urging of Congress to pass legislation that would modernize the FHA, is a good first step, Brian said in the statement. Also, when August employment figures released on Sept. 7 showed the first decline in U.S. payroll employment in nearly four years, NAHB issued another statement urging government action to prevent further deterioration in the housing market and erosion of growth in the nation's economy.

Other highlights from Seattle included adoption of three additional policy resolutions (see item below) as well as a resolution declaring Sandra J. Dunn as NAHB's new President-Elect; approval of the FY2008 budget including a three-year, $2.3 million branding revitalization initiative and funding for a new green home building designation program; rollout of a refreshed online member resource called the Toolkit for a Challenging Housing Market (story below); and a special builder panel on "Weathering the Economic Downturn" (story below). In all, it was a productive and successful week for the NAHB leadership as we worked to improve the business climate for all of our 235,000 members.

NAHB Member Benefit: With the understanding that many of our members have never been through a market downturn, NAHB convened this expert panel to provide solid advice and insights that members of the NAHB leadership can take home and share with their members. Due to the strong amount of interest in this offering, NAHB will likely hold a similar panel discussion during the International Builders' Show in Orlando this February. Stay tuned to this report for details. [return to top]

1) Resolution 1: Addressing the Mortgage Credit Crunch

2) Resolution 2: Federal Davis-Bacon Wage Requirements

3) Resolution 3: Expansion of the National Flood Insurance Program

4) Resolution 5: Repeal of Government Contractor Tax Withholding Requirement

NAHB Member Benefit: Through the NAHB Resolutions process, any member or HBA may submit new policy proposals for the Board's consideration. This process ensures that NAHB's goals, strategies and official policies are the direct product of its members' concerns and views and allows individual NAHB members to have their voices heard on the national stage.  Please direct any questions regarding the Resolutions process to Jay Shackford at x8406. [return to top]

Oct. 24 -       NAHB's Fall Construction Forecast Conference and Live Webcast
                      in Washington, DC. The main topic this time around is "Will Housing
                      Take Off in 2008?" Sign up to attend the event or to access the
                      Webcast at www.nahb.org/cfc. Contact the Office of the Registrar at x8338.

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Tom Baker was NAHB's Vice President of Political Affairs and a 15-year employee of our association from 1983-1998 who, among other things, ran our BUILD-PAC operation. Tom was also a highly regarded professional and spent most of his early career as a Democratic Party operative. He passed away at the age of 75 on Aug. 25. [return to top]