October 6, 2023
FROM YOUR STATE REP, Keith Wingfield, River Rock Builders
You may not see what we actually do, but you will feel it in your markets
soon! NAHB and all of the officers, state reps and national area chairman stay
hard at work on the issues that affect you the most, usually working on codes,
regulations and any other issue that affects the cost of housing.
Remember that you elected officials are making these laws, regulations,
codes, and other rule making……if you want to be a part of the process make
sure that you answer every CALL TO ACTION so that your input is heard! Let
me, your State Rep know what you need and what is affecting you the most. If I
can help I will, if not I’ll send you somewhere to find the help you need!
Your dues go a long way to fund this association and make sure we are not
over-regulated and wiped out from codes that are not necessary.
Moreover, your contributions to BUILD PAC help to ensure we elect the
right people to vote the way we need them to vote. Arkansas has a super
congressional delegation that is very pro-housing…..let’s keep it that way.
Sincerely,
Keith Wingfield
NAHB State Representative, Arkansas
Key NAHB Housing Issues
1. Extending funding for the federal government through mid-November, including the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), is a big win for NAHB and the housing industry. NAHB was at the forefront in working with lawmakers to find a solution that would not let the NFIP lapse and force the government to shutter its doors.
2. The Department of Energy has announced the opening of applications for $400 million in grants to states that adopt more stringent energy codes. NAHB is working with builders and HBAs to help them take steps now to engage with their state and local jurisdictions to advocate for workable outcomes.
3. The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed a rule to raise the salary threshold for the white-collar overtime exemptions from the current $35,568 yearly minimum to $55,068. This would extend eligibility for overtime pay to roughly 3.6 million salaried workers.
4. With shelter inflation accounting for a staggering 90% of the overall inflation rate in July and August, NAHB is calling on policymakers at all levels of government to take actions that will help boost the nation’s housing supply. Increasing housing production will help ease a stubbornly high housing inflation rate that is harming the overall economy.
5. In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have issued an amended, final waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule. NAHB believes the amended rule is a missed opportunity to provide regulatory certainty to the home building industry.
6. A House appropriations subcommittee has eliminated funding for Job Corps in fiscal year 2024, which begins on Oct. 1, 2023. Its Senate counterpart has funded the program at the full $1.7 billion level for fiscal 2024. As the appropriations process moves forward, NAHB will fight to retain the Job Corps program at full funding levels.
7. The U.S. Department of Labor has published a final rule updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA) regulations regarding the calculation of prevailing wages in local areas. The new rule, which goes into effect Oct. 23, fails to address many of NAHB’s concerns made during the rule-making process, including the DBRA’s overly burdensome contractor requirements and wage determinations that are unrepresentative of the real wages being paid in an area.
8. Housing market snapshot: Rising mortgage rates are slowing the housing market. Single-family and multifamily starts, new home sales and existing home sales all moved lower in August. Meanwhile, builder confidence in the single-family market fell five points in September to 45, below the breakeven point of 50.
In Win for NAHB, Congress Averts NFIP Lapse, Government Shutdown
At NAHB’s urging, Congress agreed to fund the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and federal government for 45 days through mid-November.
NAHB has been at the forefront in working with lawmakers to find a solution that would not let the NFIP lapse and force the government to shutter its doors.
The continuation of the NFIP is an important victory for NAHB and members of the residential construction industry who rely on this program to provide certainty and predictability for the flood protection and mitigation strategies for which it was designed. NAHB has worked tirelessly with lawmakers to make them aware that even a short-term disruption to the flood insurance program would force delays — and in some cases, cancellations — to home sales and multifamily transactions that require federal flood insurance under the NFIP. In a letter sent to lawmakers when it was unclear whether the NFIP would lapse and the government would shut down, NAHB said: “Uncertainty over whether the NFIP will lapse, coupled with the growing possibility of a government shutdown, may have a significant negative economic effect on home builders, home buyers, multifamily developers and renters. To this end, we urge Congress to consider the effects of a government shutdown on federal programs that directly support the construction of new housing, help buyers or renters access housing, or provide federal permits that may be required for construction.”
NAHB believes that the NFIP is critically important for the economy, and the housing industry specifically. Moving forward, we will continue to work with Congress to achieve a long-term re-authorization of the NFIP that will keep the program fiscally sound and let builders provide safe and affordable housing.