State and Local Reporter - 10/07/2004 (Plain Text Version)

Duane Willenbring, Chair
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

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In this issue:
NAHB Unveils Results of 2003-2004 Critical Issues Survey
Now Accepting Nominations for 2004 SLGA Recognition Awards
The Clock Is Ticking on Discounts for the SLGA Conference in Biloxi
Minnesota, Pennsylvania Advance Legislative Solutions for Unregulated Municipal Professional Fees
NAHB Awards Grants to Projects in California, Colorado, Maryland, Minnesota and Texas
Help Your Members Vote
Nonprofit Election Activities: Dos and Don'ts
Legislative Group Makes Workforce Housing a Priority
Cities Struggling to Make Ends Meet, According to League of Cities Report
Industry News from New Jersey, New York and Texas
Study Finds Multifamily Housing Does Not Contribute to School Crowding

NAHB Unveils Results of 2003-2004 Critical Issues Survey

Results from the most recently-conducted Critical Issues Survey show that the cost and availability of general liability insurance topped builder concerns between July 2003 and June 2004.

Results from the most recently-conducted Critical Issues Survey show that the cost and availability of Top ten graphic general liability insurance topped builder concerns between July 2003 and June 2004.

On a scale of one to five, where one equals not at all critical and five equals very critical, general liability insurance cost scored 4.49 and availability scored 4.26. These results parallel results from the past three survey periods, where general liability insurance cost and availability also ranked as the top two most pressing issues for the home building industry.

The survey, which asked executive officers or their designee to rank 75 issues according to how important or critical they are to their members, had a response rate of more than 20 percent.

Rounding out the top five issues were lumber price and supply at 4.25, development approval process at 4.22 and development costs at 4.18.

Notably absent from the top ten list of issues was mold, which peaked at fourth during the 2002-2003 survey period. The issue dropped from eleventh during last year's survey period to 29th this year.

Labor availability experienced a similar drop, and ranked as the industry's most critical issue for several years before dropping to 11th during 2002-2003 and 14th during this survey period.

Critical Issues Survey results are used to help guide NAHB's work. To have complete survey results e-mailed to you, contact Sam Leyvas in NAHB's State & Local Government Affairs Department.