Hotel Rooms Less Than $200 a Night — Register by Aug. 31: Rooms at all the hotels in the NAHB convention hotel block are available for under $200 a night once registration and housing open on Aug. 3. But the rates are only guaranteed when registering during August.  Room deposits for August registrations will not be charged until December.

NAHB Applauds Senate Confirmation Of Stevens As FHA Commissioner
Last week, NAHB applauded Senate confirmation of David Stevens as head of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).

“During this time of market uncertainty, NAHB believes that it is essential to have a strong and experienced leader at the FHA and David Stevens is the right man for the job,” said NAHB Chairman Joe Robson, a home builder from Tulsa, Okla.

“His strong background in the financial services, real estate and mortgage industries makes him uniquely qualified to take on the extensive challenges facing the FHA and the housing industry,” added Robson. “NAHB looks forward to working with Mr. Stevens and HUD in 2009 and beyond to put housing back on a growth path.”

Since October 2008, Stevens served as president and chief operating officer of the Washington, D.C.-based real estate firm of Long & Foster. He joined Long & Foster in 2006 to lead the company’s affiliated businesses, including its mortgage, title and insurance division.

House Votes to Preempt National Building Code Process
By a vote of 219 to 212, the House on June 26 narrowly approved climate change legislation that would establish a “cap and trade” market for buying and selling pollution allowances and create mandatory national energy code requirements for all homes and buildings.

Prior to consideration of  the American Clean Energy and Security Act, NAHB sent a letter to House members expressing concern that federal preemption of the states’ rights to determine building codes would needlessly increase the cost of housing in America and fail to achieve its aim by focusing solely on new homes.

“We are troubled that this legislation contains provisions that will establish a national energy efficiency code, impair housing affordability for lower-income families, undermine green building and sustainability programs for new construction and increase already onerous federal permitting requirements,” the letter said. “Because of its negative impact on housing, NAHB has designated opposition to H.R. 2454 as a key vote.”

The bill number was subsequently changed to H.R. 2998.

The sweeping legislation would require new homes to be 30% more energy-efficient than mandated in the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). By Jan. 1, 2014, the target would rise to 50% above the 2006 IECC. Between years 2017 and 2029, the code target increases 5% every three years until it reaches 75% over the 2006 IECC by 2029.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, homes are responsible for about 21% of the energy consumed each year. “Forcing more regulation on a fraction of those homes just won’t move the needle,” Robson said.

States that fail to certify within one year after the date of enactment that they have adopted and will enforce the new code targets will be subject to federal penalties for non-compliance by the U.S. Department of Energy. At that point, if the DOE doesn't have a certification from a state that its code meets the targets, then the national energy code automatically becomes the applicable building code for that state or locality.

H.R. 2998 would also create the Natural Resources Adaptation Strategy, which directs federal agencies with jurisdiction over natural resources — including agencies considering permits under the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act and other environmental laws — to consider the "impacts of climate change and ocean acidification on natural resources.”

There is no companion climate bill in the Senate, and it is uncertain when that chamber will move forward with its energy legislation, which differs markedly from the House bill. NAHB will continue to monitor the situation closely and work to derail the onerous provisions in H.R. 2998 as the legislative process advances.

NAHB Headquarters Garners Fifth ENERGY STAR
NAHB has earned its fifth ENERGY STAR designation for the National Housing Center, the downtown Washington, D.C. office building that serves as the association’s headquarters.

The designation recognizes buildings that conserve natural resources while providing a comfortable and healthy environment for employees and visitors.

Since the building was significantly expanded and renovated in 2001, the Housing Center’s property manager, Transwestern, has continued to fine-tune the details of the original energy-efficient construction project. Attention to the operation and maintenance of the building is the key to holding the line on energy use and utility costs, said NAHB President and CEO Jerry Howard.

“We believe that it’s important to make today’s building stock as efficient as possible, and these improvements demonstrate how we put these values into practice,” Howard said.

To earn its fifth designation, Transwestern engineers continued to install occupancy sensors in common areas so the lights turn on only when the room is in use.  Low-flow aerators were installed in all restroom sinks as well as additional insulation around the perimeter of the building.

Transwestern staff also regularly inspects and maintains the heating and air conditioning equipment used in the building to optimize its performance and prolong its life, Howard said. The Housing Center’s continued ENERGY STAR designations save money and energy while they also send a strong signal regarding housing industry support for voluntary energy guidelines, he added.

NAHB has also made landscaping improvements around the building, adding more plants and greenery to help absorb storm water runoff and keep it out of the city’s drainage system – not an ENERGY STAR requirement, but another way to reduce the environmental impact of the National Housing Center.

“Many of our members build homes with appliances, windows and doors, and heating and cooling systems that meet the ENERGY STAR guidelines. In fact, 840,000 ENERGY STAR-rated homes have been constructed in the past 15 years,” Howard noted. “These home builders’ business practices show how NAHB members are at the forefront of green building – and that’s reflected in how we operate our national headquarters.”

A plaque recognizing the ENERGY STAR achievement has been posted near the building's entrance.

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