NAHB Sends White House Policy Proposals to Boost Housing and the Economy

NAHB recently sent the White House a list of policy recommendations designed to help the residential construction industry survive the COVID-19 economic disruption and be a force that leads the economy out of recession. As part of the Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups, NAHB joins key industry leaders and groups brought together by President Trump to advise the White House on reopening the economy after the shutdown necessitated by the pandemic. NAHB's proposals fall into several categories, including meeting the short-term needs of the housing industry and increasing housing supply. Short-term proposals would:

• Improve access to the Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program for single-family and multifamily builders and developers;
• Advance the maximum $10,000 amount to all applicants of the SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program;
• Ensure the effectiveness of the Federal Reserve’s "Main Street Lending Program" for single-family and multifamily developers;
• Provide direct rental assistance and other solutions to multifamily owners to address lost rental payments; and
• Temporarily increase mortgage limits in high-cost areas for FHA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Policy recommendations to provide critical support to housing production include:

• Creating a secondary market for acquisition, development and construction loans;
• Shifting homeownership tax incentives from a deduction to a credit;
• Establishing a permanent minimum 4% credit floor for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit;
• Revising Federal Housing Administration condominium regulations to allow approvals for proposed or under construction projects; and
• Increasing funding for workforce development programs.

These are just some of the overall policy recommendations presented to the White House. The complete list, which includes detailed analysis of all the proposals, can be found on nahb.org.