State HBAs Take on Housing Affordability During Legislative Sessions
HBAs are working with state lawmakers and governors to reduce building costs, boost the supply of homes, and empower home buyers with a mix of housing choices. As the new year kicks off, many state legislatures are in session, and HBA leaders are making inroads with lawmakers. States such as Washington and Virginia recently secured legislative wins to improve housing affordability.
Increasing Housing Production in Oregon
Oregon Home Builders Association (OHBA) members Deb Flagan, Natalie Janney, Eric Olsen and Justin Wood serve on Gov. Tina Kotek’s Housing Production Advisory Council. OHBA says the council has been working diligently over the last several months to provide long-term strategies for quickly increasing housing production across the state.
During this legislative session, OHBA is championing Senate Bill 1537. If passed, the bill will increase the number of available homes and reduce housing prices for residents. According to OHBA, the state must increase the production of housing units by up to 80% of the current construction trend to meet future housing needs.
Increasing homeownership is a top priority for the association and Oregonians, who said in a recent poll that housing affordability and homelessness are serious problems that the legislature must address.
Building Missing Middle Housing in Washington State
During the 2023 legislative session, the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) passed pro-housing and pro-business legislation, and defeated efforts that threatened to drive up the costs of buying or remodeling a home. One of BIAW’s achievements was adding flexibility to zoning requirements.
Middle housing legislation supported by BIAW allows property owners more flexibility on their land. It requires local governments to recognize zero-lot-line subdivisions, ensuring new housing built under this law can and will be ownership units. BIAW also passed legislation expanding housing options by easing barriers to constructing and using accessory dwelling units.
Improving Land Development in Virginia
The HBA of Virginia achieved several victories in the state legislature in the past several years that reduced the barriers to residential economic development. One of the association’s recent achievements was the establishment of the Virginia Residential Sites and Structures Locator. The database will assist residential developers and builders in identifying new development opportunities and help localities promote available land or structures suitable for residential or mixed-use development.
NAHB’s State and Local Government Affairs team can provide HBAs with funding, economic data and best practices for improving housing affordability in your community. Contact Karl Eckhart for more information.
Latest from NAHBNow
Oct 22, 2025
NAHB Recommends Permitting Improvements to EPA and CorpsOn 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.
Oct 21, 2025
Senate Panel Passes NAHB-Backed Forestry BillThe 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.
Latest Economic News
Oct 20, 2025
Non-Conventional Financing for New Home Sales Loses Ground in 2024Nationwide, 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%.
Oct 17, 2025
Better Growth, Larger Deficits: CBO Fiscal OutlookThe 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.
Oct 16, 2025
Amid Market Challenges, Builder Expectations Rise in OctoberEven 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.