House Reintroduces NAHB-Supported Workforce Development Bill
Bipartisan legislation championed by NAHB that is tailored specifically to ease the severe residential construction labor shortage was reintroduced in the House yesterday.
Reps. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) and Don Davis (D-N.C.) introduced the CONSTRUCTS Act, companion legislation to the Senate bill introduced last month by Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) that will support the construction workforce, help improve the housing supply and bend the rising housing cost curve across the nation.
The bipartisan CONSTRUCTS Act directly addresses the lack of workers in the housing sector by expanding opportunities for residential construction training programs at community colleges and technical education schools.
“NAHB commends Reps. Juan Ciscomani, Don Davis, Ryan Zinke and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez for championing bipartisan legislation that will help ease the nation’s housing affordability crisis by addressing the severe labor shortage in the construction industry that is delaying home building projects and increasing construction costs,” said NAHB Chairman Carl Harris. “The CONSTRUCTS Act provides the nation’s community colleges and trade schools the funding needed to train students in trades that support the residential construction industry.”
In any given month, there is a shortage of 200,000 to 400,000 construction workers, and home builders will need to add 2.2 million new workers over the next three years just to keep up with demand. By supporting funding for building and construction trades education, this legislation would bolster the housing workforce and directly address the shortage of skilled construction workers.
Latest from NAHBNow
ConstructionSkillsMap.org, a new nationwide tool funded by the National Housing Endowment, makes it easier to find skilled trades training opportunities in communities across the country.
The newly released 2025 National Green Building Standard (NGBS) provides many options for building more sustainably. NGBS Green Certification provides independent, third-party verification for a home, building, or land development. For those who wish to provide even more value for their clients, NGBS Green+ certifications recognize NGBS Green homes that go “above and beyond” in one or more areas of sustainability. Here are the seven certification options.
Latest Economic News
Existing home sales continued to slow in July as record-high home prices and elevated mortgage rates weighed on buyers. Mortgage rates resumed an upward trend after the ceasefire ended in early July.
Demand for all types of residential mortgages was weaker, while lending standards for most were essentially unchanged in the second quarter of 2026, according to the recent release of the Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey (SLOOS).
Wage growth for residential building workers continued to lose momentum in the second quarter of 2026, reflecting softer housing construction activity and weaker labor demand. According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, both nominal and inflation-adjusted wages have weakened further, extending the cooling trend that emerged after the strong wage gains of the post-pandemic period.