| May 11, 2009 |
By Joe Robson
NAHB Chairman and
Jerry Howard
NAHB President and CEO |
|
|
Meeting with HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan
and several top Department advisors on May 5, NAHB Chairman Joe Robson and other members of the senior leadership and staff discussed a number of home builders' key housing and finance concerns and set the stage for future such interaction with the Obama Administration.
 Included on our list of discussion items were: the housing outlook; the need for guidance on condominium mortgage insurance as well as on use of the home buyer tax credit as a downpayment on FHA-insured loans; ways to improve FHA's multifamily mortgage insurance programs; foreclosure mitigation efforts; and NAHB’s Green Building Standard and challenges in financing energy-efficient homes. Going forward, NAHB's leadership will present Secretary Donovan's request for recommendations on HUD issues to NAHB members attending this month's Spring Board of Directors Meeting in Washington, DC. For more information, contact Dave Ledford, x8265.
|
 |
Congress refused to include limits on mortgage interest deductions
for high-income earners in its annual budget resolution completed by lawmakers last week. Such limits were proposed as part of a controversial White House revenue-raising provision that spurred aggressive NAHB opposition. Many in Congress declared the proposal "dead on arrival," and the House and Senate Budget committees inserted specific language in their budget resolution to underscore that they were not including the President's proposals to limit tax deductions, leaving the consideration of specific revenue offsets to the tax-writing committees in Congress. However, the budget resolution has no force of law and the President is not required to sign it; instead, this marks the completion of the first phase of the annual appropriations negotiations. Read more in NBN Online, or contact Jenna Hamilton, x8407.
[return to top]
|
|
The Senate said no to 'cramdown' legislation
that was offered as an amendment to a broader housing and finance bill last week. The amendment, which failed by a vote of 51 to 45, would have allowed judges to modify the terms of a mortgage on a primary residence by changing the interest rate, extending the term up to 40 years, or possibly reducing the mortgage to fair market value. But on April 30, it failed to secure majority support, much less the 60 votes required to pass it. This likely brings to a close efforts to reform the bankruptcy code at the present time. Contact J.P. Delmore, x8412, for more information.
[return to top]
|
|
A new DHS "Worksite Enforcement Strategy"
 released by the government on April 30 amounts to a significant departure from immigration law enforcement priorities promulgated by the Bush Administration, which focused on the arrest and removal of illegal immigrants. The new strategy de-emphasizes the use of raids on work sites and mass arrests of illegal immigrants on construction sites, instead favoring criminal prosecution of employers who knowingly hire illegal workers. Smugglers, traffickers, those who harbor illegal immigrants and those who mistreat immigrant workers are designated for special attention. Under the new strategy, employers should expect heightened scrutiny of their hiring practices and of their compliance with the requirements of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Please see the next edition of NBN Online for more info, or contact David Crump, x8491.
[return to top]
|
|
The schedule of events for NAHB's Spring Board meeting
that takes place in Washington, DC on May 26-30 is now available. Meetings will be held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel and the National Housing Center. Please consult the official Spring Board program for the exact time and place of each scheduled meeting. Contact: Cyndi McKinley, x8346.
Wednesday, May 27
National Area/Associate Chairmen Meeting
State Representatives Meeting
Joint National Area/Associate Chairmen and State Representatives Meeting
Executive Board Meeting
Thursday, May 28
Committees, Subcommittees, Councils, Affiliates, etc.
NHC Board of Governors Meeting
Nominations Committee
Friday, May 29
Committees, Subcommittees, Councils, Affiliates, etc.
NAHB Past Chairmen Council Meeting
Saturday, May 30
Area Caucuses 1-15
Joint Executive, Budget and Resolutions Committee Meeting
Board of Directors
[return to top]
|
|
Resolutions in the pipeline
 for the Spring Board meeting were summarized in a memo that was sent to the NAHB Board of Directors by Resolutions Committee Chairman Tom Woods on May 6. To date, six resolutions and seven recommendations have been submitted for consideration at the upcoming meeting. Topics include:
1. Energy Efficiency Targets for Reductions in Greenhouse Gas Emissions
2. Endorsements of Presidential Candidates by Senior Officers
3. Policy on Radon
4. Nuclear Powered Electric Generation
5. Chinese Drywall
6. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
7. Fiscal Impact of Multiple Memberships
8. Local Green Building Program
9. Association Antitrust Policy
10. Clarifying the Relationship Between State and Local Associations
11. Expanding the Investor Market for Low Income Housing Tax Credits
12. Providing Affordable Housing for Rural Americans
13. Sunset Review Process
The chairman's memo provides links to the full text for each of the resolutions/recommendations that are currently available online. Please direct any questions regarding the resolutions process to Jay Shackford, x8406.
[return to top]
|
|
NAHB's 50+ Housing magazine has gone virtual
 and is now available online to all NAHB members free of charge. Check out the inaugural issue here, and become a subscriber today. The incredibly user-friendly format allows you to print the entire issue or just browse individual items from your desktop. Featured articles in the latest edition focus on multi-generational community designs, marketing to the female buyer and universal design for exterior spaces, among other great items. Find out more about this fantastic new member resource by contacting Ann Marie Moriarty, x8350.
[return to top]
|
|
Listen to a free audio seminar on lead-based paint
 at www.nahb.org/leadpaintaudio. Presented by the NAHB Remodelers and NAHB University of Housing last fall, "The EPA's New Lead Paint Rule: What it Means for You" is an informative, hour-long seminar that explains in detail what the rule covers, what remodelers must do to be in compliance and where to go for more information. The rule takes effect on April 22, 2010, so don't miss your chance to get updated for free. While non-NAHB members must pay $79, you can listen to the streaming audio file of the original broadcast through Oct. 28 and access handout materials at no charge. For general information about the new lead paint rule and what NAHB Remodelers are doing to help our members comply with it, visit www.nahb.org/LeadPaint. Contact: Kelly Mack, x8451.
[return to top]
|
|
Green building news:
The National Green Building Conference, held over the Mother's Day weekend of May 8-10, can be expected to generate some positive headlines this week. Look for coverage of this great event in the next edition of NBN Online.
The first home to be certified to the Emerald level of the National Green Building Standard rating system has been built by RGB Custom Builders of East Stroudsburg, Pa. Builder Bob Brown’s home scored a total of 724 points in the six categories of the standard, which include energy, water and resource efficiency, indoor environmental quality, lot and site development and home owner education and maintenance. The 1,900-square-foot home has not been sold yet, Brown said, because the company is using it as a showcase for green building techniques and to spur more home sales. In the week after it was certified, the home attracted 60 visitors in the small Pocono Mountains community where it is located. Read more here.
Greensburg, KS goes green: Leaders of the Kansas Building Industry Association joined with officials from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the city of Greensburg, Kansas, on May 1 to announce the launch of the Greensburg GreenHome residential green building program. The voluntary program will train workers to build new homes that can be certified to the recently released National Green Building Standard. Two years ago, a tornado destroyed 95% of the homes in Greensburg and damaged the few that were left; the new green building program is expected to be instrumental in rebuilding efforts. Read more here.
House plans that include a checklist showing how finished projects can conform to the requirements of the National Green Building Standard are being offered for free by the Boston-based company FreeGreen. The company, which offers free downloadable construction documents or blueprints for a variety of plans, says it hopes that including the checklist will spur more builders, remodelers and consumers to go green by giving them a head start on the scoring process and a guide to products that can help lead to green certification. Read more here.
Contact: Calli Schmidt, x8132
[return to top]
|
|
|
