HBI Well Suited to Help Justice-Involved Individuals

Workforce Development
Published

Workforce training can be a launching pad into a rewarding, well-paying career that might otherwise be unavailable to people with a criminal record. That was the message NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke delivered during a Sept. 22 discussion on criminal justice reform hosted by the Republican Governors Association (RGA).

Fowke spoke as part of an RGA panel exploring approaches to criminal justice reform that change lives – and the system – at the same time.

"NAHB and its educational arm, the Home Builders Institute (HBI), have a proven track record of success working with justice-involved individuals, training hundreds of youth and adults every day and pairing them with open positions in the residential construction industry to promote positive re-integration into society," said Fowke.

"These fast-paced and exciting programs offer participants a second chance for a bright future and construction employers access to urgently needed skilled workers in the face of sustained labor shortages across the industry," he added.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee moderated the panel. Joining Fowke on the panel were Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, as well as Doug Howard, senior vice president of Maximus, and Merisa Heu-Weller, director of Microsoft's Criminal Justice Reform Initiative.

"A strong, well-trained workforce is critical to the residential construction industry," Fowke said. "It can help make quality homes and apartments affordable to families across the economic spectrum. But having a strong workforce does not just benefit customers. A career in the building trades can be rewarding and incredibly satisfying."

HBI instructors and program staff help prepare students to transition into meaningful careers in the building industry. They do this through individual mentoring, and by teaching important lessons in resume writing, interviewing, and other life skills.

Republican governors seek best practices in education, workforce training, mental health and rehabilitation services to help give a second chance at life to people serving out a sentence.

Fowke noted that HBI is well suited to help justice-involved individuals make the most of that second chance as they transition back to life outside of the prison system.

"These individuals can help build much-needed homes and apartments for families, even as they build a career and a better life for themselves," Fowke said.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Advocacy

Oct 22, 2025

NAHB Recommends Permitting Improvements to EPA and Corps

On Oct. 16, NAHB met with political leadership from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) to discuss the agencies’ regulatory priorities for 2026 and beyond.

Advocacy

Oct 21, 2025

Senate Panel Passes NAHB-Backed Forestry Bill

The Senate, Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee today advanced the Fix Our Forest Act, NAHB-supported legislation that will contribute to better forest management practices, help strengthen the nation’s housing supply chain and promote affordable housing opportunities for all Americans.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Oct 20, 2025

Non-Conventional Financing for New Home Sales Loses Ground in 2024

Nationwide, the share of non-conventional financing for new home sales accounted for 31% of the market per NAHB analysis of the 2024 Census Bureau Survey of Construction (SOC) data. This is 1.7 percentage point lower than the 2023 share of 32.4%. As in previous years, conventional financing dominated the market at 69.3% of sales, higher than the 2023 share of 67.6%.

Economics

Oct 17, 2025

Better Growth, Larger Deficits: CBO Fiscal Outlook

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is a key nonpartisan score keeper that measures the effects of policy changes by the Federal Government. With several policy changes since January of this year, including the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), stricter immigration, and higher tariffs, the CBO updated its economic projections through 2028.

Economics

Oct 16, 2025

Amid Market Challenges, Builder Expectations Rise in October

Even as builders continue to grapple with market and macroeconomic uncertainty, sentiment levels posted a solid gain in October as future sales expectations surpassed the 50-point breakeven mark for the first time since last January.