More than 1,100 builders, remodelers and other housing industry professionals went to Capitol Hill on June 10 to call for congressional action to improve affordability and help builders to increase the production of affordable, attainable homes.

In more than 300 meetings with lawmakers, housing advocates focused on four priorities aimed at improving affordability and increasing supply:

• Landmark Housing Legislation. NAHB urged the Senate to adopt two House-approved changes to the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act: eliminate the single-family rental sale mandate and raise and index multifamily loan limits.
• Workforce Development and Immigration. NAHB called on Congress to pass the CONSTRUCTS Act (H.R. 1055/S. 189), which would help prepare young adults for rewarding careers in the skilled trades, and urged lawmakers to pass the DIGNITY Act (H.R. 4393), which would strengthen border security while creating a pathway to permanent work authorization for undocumented workers who meet strict requirements.
• Permitting Obstacles. NAHB urged the Senate to reform the Clean Water Act to expedite the permitting process by providing clarity and predictability while respecting environmental safeguards.
• Natural Gas Bans. NAHB called on Congress to pass the Energy Choice Act (H.R. 3699/S. 1945), which would prevent state and local governments from banning the use of natural gas in new homes.

Before heading to Capitol Hill, NAHB members heard from five leading members of Congress who underscored the importance of housing to both the economy and the nation’s social fabric:

• House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.)
• House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill (R-Ark.)
• Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.)
• Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas)
• Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-N.Y.)

Cabinet-Level Officials Discuss Regulatory Reform With NAHB Members

Separately, on June 11, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin discussed housing, environmental and small business regulatory issues during NAHB’s Spring Leadership Meeting.