Podcast: NAHB Chairman Weighs In on SOTU, Goals for 2024
On the latest episode of the NAHB podcast, Housing Developments, CEO Jim Tobin and COO Paul Lopez are joined by 2024 NAHB Chairman Carl Harris, who was in Washington, D.C., to attend the State of the Union (SOTU) address following an immensely successful International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas.
The State of the Union focused on the president’s commitment to housing, including the administration’s goal of building and preserving an additional 2 million homes. NAHB is seeking to work with officials and stakeholders across the board to advance the cause of housing and increase the nation’s housing supply, especially at the regulatory level, to create long-term solutions to the housing affordability crisis.
“I’d like to get more houses built,” Harris agreed as a key goal for 2024. “That seems to be the big deal, and whatever we can do to encourage our members to have the confidence that things are going to start turning around, that we’re going to see some lower interest rates, that we’re going to see some more favorable things that are occurring out there in our industry.”
Within NAHB, Harris also plans to continue leadership development efforts and outreach to local HBAs to help strengthen the Federation.
Listen to Housing Developments through your favorite podcast provider or watch the episodes on YouTube.
Latest from NAHBNow
Apr 13, 2026
New York Builders Win Legal Challenge on Onerous Wetlands RuleIn an important win for New York home builders and housing affordability, the New York State Supreme Court has issued a decision annulling the state’s new definition of what a “freshwater wetland” is based on violations of the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA).
Apr 10, 2026
Podcast: Housing Market Braces for Tense Spring Home Buying SeasonIn the latest episode of NAHB’s podcast, Housing Developments, CEO Jim Tobin and COO Paul Lopez delve into market uncertainties ahead of the spring home buying season, efforts to bolster housing supply, what the 2027 budget cuts could mean for housing and how members can engage in the codes process.
Latest Economic News
Apr 09, 2026
Remodeling Market Sentiment Edges Down but Remains Positive in First QuarterIn the first quarter of 2026, the NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a reading of 62, down two points compared to the previous quarter. Despite this decline, the overall reading has been solidly in positive territory since Q1 2020.
Apr 08, 2026
Remodelers Saw Profit Margin Gains in 2024Profitability for residential remodelers reached its highest level in more than two decades in 2024. Industry-wide profit benchmarks are important because they allow companies to evaluate their financial performance in context with the industry.
Apr 07, 2026
Rising Rates Weigh on Mortgage ActivityMortgage application activity decreased month-over-month as the 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Market Composite Index, a measure of total mortgage application volume, declined 4.3% from February on a seasonally adjusted basis but remained 30.8% higher than a year earlier.