Podcast: Pro-Housing County Exec Discusses Home Building Growth
This post has been updated.
On the latest episode of NAHB’s podcast, Housing Developments, CEO Jim Tobin and COO Paul Lopez welcome Josh Schoemann, county executive for Washington County, Wis., to discuss his Next Generation Housing Initiative to help builders build entry-level homes and increase housing opportunity.
The new housing program stemmed from Washington County’s struggle to retain its younger residents once they went away to college or for other opportunities. In researching the factors that contributed to them leaving, housing was a major component.
“If they can’t afford to live there, they’re not coming back,” Schoemann stated.
The program involved creating a coalition of government entities and housing professionals to help deregulate housing in the county, and securing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) financing to leverage down development costs and cover permit fees for entry-level homes.
“I call it a prosperity cycle — prosperous families create prosperous businesses, which create prosperous communities,” Schoemann shared. “We’ve done this before. We just have to think differently than we have for the past 30 years.”
Challenges have included NIMBY-ism, holding the coalition together, and keeping the plan moving forward, especially in the wake of municipalities than have been reluctant to remove regulations.
Tobin and Lopez also discuss the cabinet picks for the Trump administration, including Scott Turner to helm the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the opportunities for NAHB to collaborate.
The episode concludes with the latest Builders' Show Insider segment. Denise Miller, VP of Marketing and Brand Management, and Jamahl Gibbons, manager of IBS Show Homes, delve into the details surrounding The New American Home, including standout features in the 2025 show home.
Listen to the full episode of the podcast below, and subscribe to Housing Development through your favorite podcast provider or watch all the episodes on YouTube.
Latest from NAHBNow
Safety
Oct 16, 2026
The Importance of Safety Guardrails on a Home Building Site
Join NAHB and its official safety sponsor, Builders Mutual, as we celebrate the seventh annual Guardrail Safety Week, Oct. 19-23, and be part of the difference proper guardrail use makes in protecting workers and saving lives.
Material Costs
Oct 16, 2026
U.S. Cuts Duties on Canadian Lumber
Following its annual review, the U.S. Department of Commerce lowered antidumping and countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber imports from about 35.16% to 24.75%.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Oct 16, 2026
Single-Family Permitting Declines Through August
Single-family permitting activity continued to soften through the first eight months of 2026, while multifamily permitting remained stronger compared with the same period last year.
Economics
Oct 16, 2026
Research Highlights the Broad Benefits of Homeownership
A rich, peer-reviewed academic literature finds that homeownership produces benefits that extend well beyond house-price appreciation.
Economics
Oct 15, 2026
Building Material Price Inflation Nears Four Year High
The Producer Price Index for final demand was up 1.3% in September, after rising 0.5% in August. Compared to a year ago, final demand prices were up 6.3%.