NAHB

NAHB: Working to Build a Stronger Housing Industry

NAHB Chairman's Message: 2024 promises to be a great year in which NAHB will continue its advocacy efforts and work to both strengthen the home building industry and deliver more affordable homes for Americans
April 15, 2024
4 min read

If you made it to Las Vegas for the 2024 National Association of Home Builders’ International Builders’ Show (IBS), then you know there is real excitement right now about the state of our industry. I am thrilled we began this year with the biggest IBS in 15 years; it’s a sign of the strength of this association and of our industry. 

At IBS, I was honored to be elected by my fellow NAHB members to serve as the 2024 chairman of the association. During my year in this role, I will focus my energies on making it easier for NAHB members to build more homes and do more business. Our nation is short over a million homes, and that chronic lack of inventory is driving up housing costs, pricing first-time homebuyers out of the market, and making it harder for existing homeowners to acquire their move-up homes. 

I want our association to move forward as a united front, strengthening our resolve and dedication to our core mission: Building Homes, Enriching Communities, and Changing Lives. Our nation needs more homes, and home builders need a better business and regulatory environment in which to build those homes. We also need more talented young people to enter the building trades, and we need to invest in the next generation of craftsmen and women. They are the future of our industry. 


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To build more affordable homes, NAHB must continue to push back against regulations that make home building more time-consuming and costly. We need to make certain that policymakers hear our perspective and understand how the laws they write affect the cost of the homes we build. We must also make sure our staff experts have sufficient resources to develop policy solutions that address real problems without diminishing housing affordability. 

Involvement in NAHB’s committees and councils is an excellent way for members to engage in the regulatory process. Our committee and council members drive NAHB’s regulatory agenda, providing input on regulatory challenges and feedback on the policy proposals we take to legislators and regulators. Getting involved in an NAHB committee or council that aligns with your passions and areas of expertise is one of the best ways to showcase your talents while advancing the work of our association.

It’s also important that NAHB supports our state and local association partners as they fight for our interests in cities, counties, and states around the country. I will work to ensure NAHB is providing the resources members need to take our message to local and state officials. 

Most city council members, county supervisors, state legislators, and other officials understand families are struggling to find housing that meets their needs at a price they can afford. And elected officials across the political spectrum now recognize that existing policies make it too easy to stop the production of much-needed housing. NAHB will continue to provide officials with model legislation on missing-middle housing, best practices in land use and zoning, and the latest information on energy codes that deliver long-term savings. 

The strength and advocacy of our association continues to grow, and it’s because of the hardworking men and women of the home building industry that we are able to do this work. If you’re not already a member, I hope you will join us at NAHB. I believe 2024 is going to be a great year.


W2W4 at NAHB

April is New Homes Month. As spring homebuying gets underway, it’s a great time to remind potential homebuyers about the quality construction and exciting amenities today’s new homes offer. Go to nahb.org for resources to help you promote New Homes Month.

NAHB’s BizTools library helps NAHB members gain a competitive edge with tips and strategies for business success. All of the content is created by experienced business leaders from across the housing industry. nahb.org/biztools

About the Author

Carl Harris

Carl Harris, a Wichita, Kan.-based small-volume spec and custom home builder with more than 40 years of experience in home building, remodeling, and light-commercial construction is the National Association of Home Builders' 2024 Chairman. Harris is co-founder and president of the Carl Harris Co., and managing partner of Harris Homes.

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