www.elpasobuilders.com
7
EL PASO
National, State & Local Building Industry News 2017: Issue 6
BUILDERS A S S O C I AT I O N O F
Builders Discuss Housing Issues in Hill Visits More Than 800 Industry Professionals Attend Conference
In more than 250 individual meetings with their representatives and senators, builders asked lawmakers to make progress on several key housing issues, including:
More than 800 builders from across the nation marched on Capitol Hill June 14 for the annual National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Legislative Conference to call on Congress to make housing and homeownership a national priority and to support policies that will keep the housing recovery moving forward. “Today, builders from coast-to-coast are
Homeownership Remains Key Part of American Dream; Obstacles Persist for Many
As the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) celebrates National Homeownership Month in June, more than two-thirds of Americans believe that owning a home is an essential part of the American Dream. “Americans continue to place a high priority on homeownership and work hard to achieve this goal for their families,” said NAHB Chairman Granger MacDonald, a home builder and developer from Kerrville, Texas. “Our members are committed to providing high-
sending a loud and clear message to members of Congress that a strong housing market is critical to spur job growth and create a vibrant, dynamic economy,” said NAHB Chairman Granger MacDonald, a home builder and developer from Kerrville, Texas.
quality homes that meet the diverse needs of Americans across the country.” A key component in the ability of families of all income levels to become home owners is the mortgage interest deduction, which has been a cornerstone of American housing policy since the inception of the tax code more than 100 years ago. The deduction primarily benefits middle-class taxpayers, according to data from the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation. NAHB supports this tax incentive, as well as provisions that encourage development of affordable housing. Yet, with the national homeownership rate stalled near 64 percent,
• Creating a national flood insurance program that is predictable and affordable. • Reducing regulations that harm small business. • Protecting middle class tax breaks that promote homeownership. • Improving the Low Income Housing Tax Credit to help meet the nation’s acute need for affordable rental home options. • Reforming the nation’s housing finance system by transitioning Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into a private-sector-oriented system, with the federal government acting as a backstop in times of crisis. • Promoting sensible and cost-effective energy codes. • Securing a supply of softwood lumber sufficient to meet demand. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), who sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, spoke to builders before they met with their lawmakers and said that this year there is “a real opportunity to do something about tax reform.” Roskam added that House Republicans are working on a tax reform blueprint that would generate economic growth, simplify the tax code, stop erosion of the U.S. tax base so that it is no longer more attractive for U.S. corporations to go overseas, and provide permanency to the tax code to deliver certainty to the business community. This marks the first year since 2013 that NAHB has held its annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. During the past three years, as part of a nationwide effort to “bring housing home,” builders across the country met with their federal lawmakers in their home districts.
NAHB must continue working to address the obstacles for many potential home buyers. “We have long fought for sensible reforms to burdensome regulations that needlessly increase the cost of homes for low- and middle-income families,” said MacDonald, noting NAHB research that shows government regulations add about 24 percent to the cost of housing. During National Homeownership Month and throughout the year, NAHB and its 700 state and local affiliates work hard to make affordable housing a reality and that it continues to be a priority to our nation’s leadership.