NAHB Identifies Post-Disaster Housing Challenges and Solutions During Industry Roundtable
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Humanitarian Supply Chain Lab has been working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to investigate ways to speed up the provision of immediate, temporary and permanent shelter after disasters. To do so, it has been reaching out to involved parties to help inform their understanding of the issues and challenges in order to shape their recommendations.
NAHB has been assisting MIT and FEMA in recent years to identify the challenges of meeting housing needs after a disaster has struck and what steps are needed to proactively address them. Additional partners include code experts, industry groups, and federal and state stakeholders.
On Jan. 29-30, 2024, MIT hosted a roundtable, Scaling Disaster Housing Capacity, as a follow-up to a virtual discussion that was held in May. Seven NAHB members and three staff participated in the meeting to identify opportunities for increasing capacity to rapidly deploy housing solutions after disasters, as well as policy and operational constraints that limit the implementation of those solutions.
NAHB participants included:
- Geep Moore, Moore-Built Construction & Restoration, Elm Grove, LA
- Tim Shigley, Shigley Construction Company Inc, Wichita, KS
- Kenneth Estes, Estes Building & Remodeling, LLC, Saltillo, MS
- Robert Criner, Criner Remodeling, Newport News, VA
- Matt Belcher, Verda Solutions, St. Louis, MO
- Ken Semler, Impresa Modular, Martinsburg, WV
- Harris Woodward, Finish Werks, Laurel, MD
These members specifically discussed remodeling/repair challenges with codes, FEMA’s 50% Rule, and financing and insurance issues, among others, while exploring increased the use of modular and panelized construction. Other participants included FEMA, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Habitat for Humanity, International Code Council (ICC), and several state codes and emergency management personnel.
An MIT report regarding this discussion is expected by spring 2024. NAHB previously worked with MIT on its systems-built housing report, “Disaster Housing Construction Challenges in America: Exploring the Role of Factory-Built Housing.”
Latest from NAHBNow
May 30, 2025
NAHB Members Provide Final Recommendations for New WOTUS RuleNAHB members concluded their participation in multiple “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) listening sessions with strong showings in Washington, D.C., and Salt Lake City. In total, 12 NAHB members and four staff members from NAHB and state home builder associations (HBAs), representing 11 states, provided oral statements at listening sessions.
May 30, 2025
Statement from NAHB Chairman Buddy Hughes on DOL Decision to Pause Job Corps Center OperationsNAHB Chairman Buddy Hughes issued the following statement after the Department of Labor announced it was pausing Job Corps center operations nationwide.
Latest Economic News
May 30, 2025
Multifamily Absorption Moves Lower for New ApartmentsThe percentage of new apartment units that were absorbed within three months after completion continued to trend lower, according to the Census Bureau’s latest release of the Survey of Market Absorption of New Multifamily Units (SOMA).
May 29, 2025
Treasury Yield Increase Drives Mortgage Rates Higher in MayMortgage rates continued their upward trend in May due to market volatility triggered by fiscal concerns and weaker U.S. Treasury demand. According to Freddie Mac, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 6.82% — a 9-basis-point (bps) increase from April. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage increased by 5 bps to 5.95%.
May 28, 2025
Aging-in-Place Remodeling Work Fell While Familiarity and Receptiveness Remain HighOnly 56% of professional remodelers undertake projects designed to allow homeowners to Age-in-Place (AIP), according to results from NAHB’s Q1 2025 Remodeling Market Index (RMI) survey.