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
Business Management
Apr 20, 2026
More Young Adults Interested in the Construction Trades, but Challenges PersistA new study conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reveals that more young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 are interested in the construction trades but more work needs to be done to educate the public that there are increasing opportunities for rewarding, lucrative careers in the skilled trades.
Construction Statistics
Apr 17, 2026
Single-Family Permits Decline Sharply to Start 2026Residential construction activity began 2026 on a mixed note, with single-family permitting weakening significantly while multifamily activity remained relatively stable.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Apr 20, 2026
Construction Workforce Shifts: Fewer Tradesmen, More White-Collar JobsThe long-running shift in the construction labor force away from construction trades and toward management, business, and technical roles is ongoing and gaining momentum, according to NAHB’s analysis of the latest 2024 data from the American Community Survey (ACS).
Economics
Apr 17, 2026
Count of Second Homes Declines in 2024In 2024, the number of second homes in the U.S. was 6.2 million, accounting for 4.3% of the nation’s housing stock, according to NAHB estimates. This reflects a modest decline from 2022, when the number reached 6.5 million. This decline suggests some cooling following the pandemic-era surge in second home demand.
Economics
Apr 16, 2026
Young Adults Report More Interest in the Construction Trades: 2026 SurveyNAHB estimates the U.S. has a structural housing deficit of 1.2 million units. Among the myriad of headwinds home builders face trying to close that gap is the industry’s chronic shortage of workers in the construction trades.