Why Nominate an Associate for NAHB’s 2024 Leadership Grant?
NAHB’s annual Leadership Grant helped take Jennie Wunderlich’s business to the next level after the fourth-generation business owner traveled on her first-ever trip to the 2024 International Builders’ Show (IBS).
“I wouldn’t have attended IBS without the grant,” said Wunderlich, president of Studio H20 and PSC Distribution, noting how humbled and honored she felt for the recognition.
“I’m a single-family business in Iowa, so we are not doing 300 homes a year as a distributor. I would not have gone without that financial help,” she added.
Every year, NAHB awards select Associate members to receive $1,500 to use toward travel expenses to this premier industry event. IBS gives members the opportunity to learn from the industry’s best, create new partnerships, and network with more than 70,000 other professionals from around the world.
“I would encourage anyone who’s awarded this grant to come with the mentality of ‘I’m going to meet as many people as I can,’” said Wunderlich, “because you never know what industry they may be in and what avenue you may be able to take your own business in.”
To be eligible for the grant, Associate members must be in good standing and have not previously attended IBS or an NAHB leadership meeting. Applications will open in the winter with more details.
Those who are interested in donating to the Associates Committee Fund can contribute here.
Latest from NAHBNow
As the housing industry faces a severe labor shortage, NAHB members report that increased immigration enforcement and jobsite raids are heightening worker fears and further straining the construction labor pool.
NAHB Chairman Bill Owens was on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., yesterday to help open the 2026 Innovative Housing Showcase, an annual event presented by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Latest Economic News
Total tax revenue collected by state and local governments was up 5.8% from a year ago in the second quarter, according to the Quarterly Summary of State and Local Government Tax Revenue published by the U.S. Census Bureau. This was the highest year-over-year growth since the third quarter of 2024 (7.2%).
New home sales improved in August, but the monthly gain masked continued weakness in the broader new-home market. Elevated mortgage rates and ongoing affordability challenges continue to constrain demand, with new home sales remaining below last year’s pace and year-to-date sales lower than in 2025.
Adults ages 55 and older make up a large and growing share of the U.S. population and play an important role in the U.S. housing market. In 2024, around 103 million Americans were ages 55 or older, ranging from adults still in the labor force to retirees.