NAHB supports a common sense, scientific approach to safeguarding the environment that reasonably balances protection of endangered species, clean air and clean water, with the need to allow local communities to grow and thrive.
Wildfire Mitigation and Wildland-Urban Interface
- We understand the need to balance our response to wildfires while addressing the ongoing housing affordability crisis.
- A comprehensive federal, state and local approach is needed to reduce wildfire risk including proper forest management techniques, adequate community water supplies, and avoiding fires due to utility infrastructure, camping, and other activities.
- There are strategies builders, remodelers and home owners can employ to minimize the potential impact of wildfires.
- For example, maintaining a defensible space around the home can reduce the chance that flying embers will ignite vegetation, firewood or other flammable materials close to the home, or elements of the home itself.
- Ignition-resistant roofing and siding materials such as asphalt shingles, concrete and clay tile, metal roofing, fiber-cement siding and stucco can be used to reduce the risk of damage to homes from wildfires.
- Ridge, gable, eave and foundation vents can be protected with products that minimize the ability for embers to get inside the home.
Electrification
- NAHB supports incentive-based, voluntary electrification, and opposes unnecessary and costly mandates, including electrification-only mandates.
- NAHB only supports the voluntary electrification of residential buildings if the entity considering the electrification policy:
- Preserves consumer choice and considers consumer acceptance of an all-electric home;
- Ensures that the existing housing stock is addressed; and
- Develops economic incentives to offset the costs of electrifying buildings through methods such as rebates, tax incentives, favorable mortgage financing terms, utility rate structure, etc.
- The Home Innovation Research Labs recently released a new study on the impact of electrification on an average-size single-family home. Based on study findings, all-electric homes cost more upfront in comparison to gas homes. Electric homes in cold climates were also found to have higher ongoing utility costs.
- Jurisdictions considering electrification should evaluate these impacts on consumers and work with stakeholders to develop supporting economic measures.
Building Sustainable Communities
- NAHB supports voluntary above-code sustainable, green, high-performance new home construction and remodeling.
- NAHB actively raises awareness and advocates for viable, credible, market-driven and voluntary green building initiatives at the federal level in both the legislative and regulatory arenas.
- NAHB also provides research, resources and tools for its members to effectively build sustainable homes and communities and distinguish themselves in their markets on nahb.org, via professional education and through webinar offerings.
- Voluntary, above-code third-party green certification programs such as the ICC 700 - National Green Building Standard® (NGBS) provide builders and consumers with the flexibility to construct homes that are sustainable, high performing, affordable, cost-effective and appropriate to the home’s geographic location.
- NAHB supports the use of products and techniques that result in reasonable paybacks in energy, insurance premiums, or other savings to the consumer.
- NAHB also advocates for and educates stakeholders to ensure property listings, lending practices and appraisals recognize and factor in the value of resource efficiency and other sustainable and resilient elements.
- Sustainability and high-performance building are important to the home building industry, consumers and the nation because it promotes lower total ownership costs through utility savings and increased durability as well as an improved indoor living environment.
