Podcast: Why Was Housing Not at the Forefront of the Presidential Debate?

This post has been updated.

On the latest episode of NAHB’s podcast, Housing Developments, CEO Jim Tobin and COO Paul Lopez weigh in on this week’s presidential debate, including not only each candidate’s performance and what they discussed — but also what they didn’t discuss.

“I’m completely disappointed in the lack of a real policy discussion,” Tobin shared. “Certainly, going into this, we were fully expecting housing to at least be one of the main questions. Turns out that the moderators didn’t want to go down that road for some reason. So that was really, really frustrating.”

“It’s the topic that’s on everyone’s minds — most Americans’ minds,” he added. “Not only the economy, but housing in particular has taken a central focus in that, and it got a passing mention by Vice President Harris. But I really would have liked to hear what both candidates had to say about housing.”

Harris’ mentions on housing included restating her goal to increase housing supply, and acknowledging the role of builders in that process, but she didn’t provide any specifics on how she plans to work with the home building industry.

Lopez shared one of Harris’ mentions in a video clip:

“As it relates to my values, let me tell you: I grew up a middle-class kid, raised by a hardworking mother, who worked and saved and was able to buy our first home when I was a teenager. The values I bring to the importance of homeownership … is a value I bring to my work to say we’re going to work with the private sector and home builders to increase by 3 million homes by the end of my first term.”

Former President Trump did not capitalize on any opportunity to discuss housing. The upcoming vice presidential debate on Oct. 1 may provide additional insights into what each campaign has planned for housing.

Tobin and Lopez discuss campaign strategies for the weeks ahead — including what to expect in swing states such as Nevada, where Lopez is currently as NAHB prepares for the 2025 International Builders’ Show, Feb. 25-27, which is now open for registration.

Listen to the full episode below, and subscribe to Housing Development through your favorite podcast provider or watch all the episodes on YouTube.