The past year was one of tremendous change. President Donald Trump assumed office ready to reverse course on many policies, and the 115th Congress came to the nation’s capital with an ambitious legislative agenda. NAHB capitalized on this political shift in Washington, D.C., and worked closely with officials to achieve pro-housing, pro-business reforms to help home builders and homeowners alike. NAHB’s access to policymakers last year was unprecedented. The association was in regular communication with administration officials on tax reform, regulatory overreach, and other critical issues.
NAHB was no stranger to Capitol Hill, either, holding over 200 meetings with lawmakers at the NAHB Legislative Conference in June, and engaging legislators throughout the year as well. The association also met with the heads of many federal agencies, including the EPA, FDIC, and HUD, among others.
Administration officials started rolling back excessive regulations immediately after assuming office. In a big win for the housing industry, Trump ordered the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to review the controversial “waters of the U.S.” rule and to rescind or revise it. I attended the White House ceremony when he signed that executive order.
NAHB made headway with labor rules as well. The president overturned OSHA’s recordkeeping rule (the “Volks” rule); a federal judge struck down an excessive overtime regulation; and the Labor Department withdrew troubling independent contractor guidance.
The hurricanes that ravaged parts of the U.S. and Puerto Rico in 2017 were truly heartbreaking. As a Texas builder and developer with properties in Houston, I saw firsthand how Hurricane Harvey brought tremendous hardship to families there, but it was wonderful to see NAHB and many home builders associations come together to provide support.
NAHB reached out to HBAs in the affected areas to offer assistance, and it urged state and federal officials to be on guard for price gouging. Online resources also were made available to help builders and consumers alike, and the association continues to monitor issues made worse by the storms, such as labor shortages and building material price increases.
The association was also involved in the tax reform debate that consumed Washington last year. Throughout the discussion, NAHB urged officials to develop tax policy that supports homeownership, rental housing opportunity, and small business. It also worked with the media to get NAHB’s message out to millions of Americans nationwide.
The year ahead promises to be full of more changes and continued growth. But even as we all look forward, let’s congratulate ourselves on a productive 2017. It was NAHB’s 75th anniversary year, and I think we can all agree that it was both eventful and memorable.
I want to thank all NAHB members for fighting for housing last year, and the NAHB staff who provided invaluable support. I have enjoyed serving as NAHB chairman, and I look forward to continuing to work together to keep our industry and the nation’s housing markets moving in the right direction.
