I’m honored to serve as chairman of NAHB this year. It is a privilege to represent our federation and our industry, and I am committed to keeping the home building sector moving in the right direction.
As your chairman, I will work together with all of you to help cultivate the most pro-housing, pro-business political environment. To make this happen, we will forge strong relationships with the new president, the new Congress, and new regulators. We will ensure that our federation has a seat at the proverbial table. And we will insist that housing issues are at the forefront of policymakers’ minds.
We will emphasize to public officials that a healthy residential construction industry benefits homeowners, home builders, and communities. In addition, we will stress how housing-friendly policies will keep the overall economy on an upward trajectory.
The change in political leadership in Washington, D.C., gives us a chance to educate new officials on our advocacy priorities. I am pleased to report that we have already made inroads with the new administration, as President Donald Trump’s transition team requested our ideas and recommendations on certain topics.
This is a great start, but we will need to keep up the momentum. NAHB will continue to make contact with the Trump administration to ensure the voice of its membership is heard. NAHB will also press Trump on critical housing topics, such as overregulation, tax reform, housing finance reform, and environmental issues.
While we are encouraged by Trump’s pro-business stance in some areas, we will not rest on these laurels. Instead, we will continue to engage him on crucial housing items.
We also will engage members of the new Congress and urge them to support housing-friendly legislation. And NAHB will meet with many of the new regulators—including officials from HUD, EPA, OSHA, and other federal agencies. We will stress to them that overly burdensome regulations complicate business for builders while offering little of their intended benefits. More important, they add significantly to the cost of a home, which in turn pushes homeownership out of reach for many deserving families.
And, when necessary, NAHB will be prepared to use legal measures to facilitate policy change. NAHB will follow through on these measures because builders have an extraordinary responsibility—we provide homes for America’s families. I know firsthand that building houses isn’t easy. But having leaders who support our industry—and who can also promote business-friendly policies—will make a big difference. That is why this year, NAHB will find every opportunity to go to bat for this great industry.
I am very pleased to work with all of you on this advocacy agenda, and I look forward to a productive year ahead.
