Courtesy NAHB
Alicia Huey, a Birmingham, Alabama–based custom home builder and developer, was elected as the 2023 chairman of the National Association of Home Builders during the recent International Builders’ Show.
Huey has been active in the NAHB leadership structure at the local, state, and national levels. She has served on the NAHB board of directors for more than 15 years, has chaired several NAHB committees, and has also assisted on the state and local government affairs, public affairs, and association communications committees.
Huey has been recognized as NAHB’s Professional Women in Building Woman of the Year, and she was inducted into the Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders Hall of Fame in 2008. Her company, AGH Homes, has also been recognized as Builder of the Year by both the Birmingham association and the Home Builders Association of Alabama.
To see what’s in store for her term, BUILDER reached out to Huey to learn more about her history, goals for the year ahead, challenges builders may face, and how she hopes to curb those issues.
BUILDER: Tell us about how you got into the industry.
Huey: I was working with my husband in the title insurance business and had the opportunity to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. I fell in love with home building and all the challenges and opportunities it presents every day on the jobsite. That was over 20 years ago. Now, my company, AGH Homes, builds custom and spec homes along with remodeling projects in Birmingham, Alabama.
BUILDER: When you began your career many years ago, did you ever imagine that you would assume the role of NAHB chairman?
Huey: No, but I have always enjoyed my involvement in our association. Serving as chairman is no different. The opportunities it has afforded me are incredible. I have met so many wonderful people across the country, many of whom I now consider friends.
BUILDER: What impact will your chairman assumption have on other women leaders in the industry?
Huey: I believe I am here not because I am a female, but because I am the right leader at the right time for our association and our industry. It is my goal that I am not seen as a female leader of our association but as an effective leader. So it is my hope that other women leaders will not concentrate on making a mark because they are female but making their mark because they are good leaders.
BUILDER: What are the top three biggest problems American home builders will face this year?
Huey: Excessively burdensome regulations are going to be a top concern this year. Two years ago, our economists found that regulations imposed by government—at all levels—account for 23.8% of the final price of a new single-family home built for sale, or $93,000 on average. It is hard to build an affordable home when facing these kinds of costs.
Another serious problem for our industry is an ongoing shortage of labor in the skilled trades. After decades of emphasis on the importance of a four-year college degree, and a related disinvestment in vocational training, we do not have enough young people entering the workforce with the skills it takes to build a home. Carpentry, electrical, plumbing, masonry, heating and air conditioning, the list goes on. These are demanding crafts that take years to master. A report from NAHB’s educational partner, the Home Builders Institute (HBI), projects the residential construction industry will need 2.2 million new hires over the next three years to keep pace with growth and attrition.
The cost and availability of buildable lots is another problem for many of our members. Part of the high cost of these lots is related to government regulations and requirements. Developers are often required to dedicate land to the government for a park, school, or other public purpose, or otherwise leave a portion of it undeveloped. So the developer must pay for the land but is not allowed to derive revenue from part of it. This drives up costs on the lots that can be developed and sold.
BUILDER: How will the NAHB help curb these issues?
Huey: We’re working with policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels to make sure they understand the impact of regulations on the cost of a home. But the Biden administration is pushing for new, more stringent rules on a variety of issues. We need lawmakers to understand that new regulations and their compliance obligations don’t happen in a vacuum. High housing costs are hurting millions of American families.
On workforce development, we want to make sure that young people know that the construction trades offer rewarding careers in terms of monetary compensation and job satisfaction. It’s also important that we reach out to parents, teachers, and counselors who shape these young people’s decisions. I think policymakers are beginning to recognize that it’s time to end the stigma against vocational training. We’re also very engaged in training and education.
Approval of lots is mostly done by local governments, like cities and counties, though the federal government is seeking to impose more controls on the process. Our local home builder association partners are very engaged on this issue, and we support them with ordinance reviews, draft legislation, economic analysis, and sometimes even funding for advocacy or legal work.
BUILDER: What are your main goals and priorities for 2023 as a leader? And for the organization?
Huey: I want to identify and empower the next generation of leaders at the local and state levels of our federation. The members who join committees and become officers at our local affiliates often go on to become leaders at the national level. That commitment to our industry is crucial to the success of the NAHB federation. We have excellent staff experts and committed member volunteers advocating for us on countless policy issues, helping us be the voice of the housing industry. I want to make sure they have the resources they need to succeed in shaping the policy environment. I also want to continue to build on the culture of membership so that anyone involved in the housing industry receives real value from their NAHB experience.
BUILDER: What were your top takeaways from the 2023 International Builders’ Show?
Huey: The energy at the Builders’ Show was incredible. People were excited to be there. The exhibition floor was full of great new products, the educational programs were excellent, and the networking opportunities alone were worth the price of registration. I talked with so many people who said they loved the show and were so pleased they came. This was the best show in years, and it demonstrates that despite challenges last year, our industry is on a solid footing and poised for growth when interest rates begin to fall later this year. I am excited for IBS 2024.
BUILDER: What piece of advice/wisdom would you give to builders, large and small, for the year ahead?
Huey: Our industry has gone through challenging times before, and we have always been resilient and focused on fulfilling the American dream of homeownership. We will continue to have ups and downs, and I pray the ups will come more often. We must be flexible and innovative, and we need to fight together for positive change. You are never alone in this business. We have local and state associations and the national association, with close to 140,000 members, that are here to support you in whatever need or question you have. Don’t ever hesitate to reach out to a fellow member.
