Nation's Building News Online: February 21, 2005

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Regulatory Barriers Taking a Heavy Toll on Housing Affordability for Working Families

Outdated, exclusionary and unnecessary government regulations continue to block the construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing in many parts of the country, according to “Why Not in Our Community?” a new report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The report — which is part of HUD’s America's Affordable Communities Initiative and the department's first substantive examination of the impact of regulatory barriers on affordable housing since its 1991 publication, “Not in My Backyard” — also finds that many communities are actively removing barriers and promoting the production of housing that was formerly beyond the reach of many working families.

“This report is a call to action for government at every level to rethink its approach to affordable housing and begin asking, ‘why not?’” said HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson. “All of us need to raise the level of common sense to make sure we don’t create man-made obstacles that close doors on the very people who should be our neighbors.”

On hand for the Feb. 14 release of the report in Washington, D.C., NAHB First Vice President David Pressly said that removal of regulatory barriers remains a top priority of the nation’s home builders as they pursue efforts to increase the supply of affordably priced housing for teachers, police, firefighters, nurses and other essential employees in the communities where they work.

“In many areas of the country, the time required to obtain development approvals has gone from a few months to two years or more, and standards are often inconsistent, conflicting and excessive,” Pressly said.

These needless barriers and delays, Pressly said, can increase home costs by as much as 25% nationwide, preventing as many as 11.8 million household from buying the median-priced home.

“All too often it is the nation’s hard working families who bear the burden of higher home prices,” he said. He cited a 2004 NAHB study finding that only one-third of the homes in the nation’s 25 largest metropolitan areas are affordable to essential workers and that workers with service and retail jobs fare even worse.

Recent analysis by NAHB shows how the cost of regulatory barriers is making housing unaffordable for significant numbers of families in specific states and metropolitan areas:

• In California, assuming that 25% of the cost of the $479,000 median-priced new home is attributable to regulatory barriers, only about 1.8 million of the state’s households have the almost $132,000 income needed to qualify for purchasing that home with a 10% downpayment and a 6% mortgage. When the cost of those regulatory barriers is deducted, the median-priced home falls in price by about $96,000, to $383,000, which 2.8 million families can afford, a difference of more than one million households.
• In Chicago, the median-priced $318,000 home drops to $254,000, a savings of almost $64,000, when the 25% cost of regulatory barriers is removed, and an additional 332,000 households can afford to buy it.
• The same analysis finds that 83,000 households are prevented from affording a median-priced home by regulatory barriers in Las Vegas and almost 181,000 in Atlanta.

Pressly said that NAHB would continue to battle “Not-in-My-Back-Yard” policies at the state and local levels that are designed to create a “no-growth” environment. “'No Growth’ simply can’t be tolerated in any part of our nation,” he said.

A constructive alternative to exclusionary zoning and other strict growth controls, he said, is the adoption of “smart growth planning policies that accommodate the demand for new housing, including higher density zoning and infill development, while protecting environmentally sensitive areas.”

Conceding that builders are facing formidable regulatory obstacles in today’s housing marketplace, the HUD reports also cites several successful state and local efforts to reduce those barriers, including:

• The creation of a one-stop permitting system and an expedited system to process state permits for affordable housing projects in Florida
• The creation in Minnesota of a new property tax classification to encourage property owners to preserve and create affordable housing
• A new housing rehabilitation code in New Jersey that has decreased rehab costs by 25% and increased rehab activity by the same percentage
• Streamlining in Tucson, Ariz., that allows small subdivisions meeting certain criteria to only undergo a final plan approval process
• A one-stop permit center in Berkeley, Calif., that has reduced the time required to review development projects
• Approval or disapproval for plans for small projects of up to 20 units in Cincinnati within eight to 10 days after they are submitted.

Pressly recommended HUD’s Regulatory Barriers Clearinghouse as a resource for builders, planners and government officials who are seeking information on overcoming regulatory barriers.

Building News Coast To Coast

Condo Prices Exceed Single-Family Homes

For the first time since such records started being kept in the 1980s, the median-price for an existing condominium last year exceeded the median price of an existing single-family home. The median condo price rose 17% to $193,600, a record high, compared to the $184,100 median price tag on the resale of a single-family home, an 8.3% increase over 2003, according to the National Association of Realtors®. The existing condo market is about one-seventh the size of the existing home market. Even though sales of existing condos and co-ops didn’t increase in 2004 quite as quickly as re-sales of single-family homes, they rose 8% and set a record for the ninth consecutive year. Condos tend to be located in more-expensive urban areas, which is one reason for their higher cost.
Wall Street Journal Online (2/15/05); Ray A. Smith: www.realestatejournal.com

Task Force Finishes Study of State’s Post-Hurricane Needs

A panel created to study the low-income housing needs in Florida following the 2004 hurricane season estimated that the more than $322 million in spending recommended by Gov. Bush could help repair 70,000 homes, construct 10,000 apartment units and provide beds to at least 2,300 migrant farm workers who were displaced by the storms. The panel would allocate nearly $25 million to help repair or replace almost 52,000 housing units in Escambia County that were damaged by Hurricane Ivan; and $15 million would go to Santa Rosa County for 23,000 homes. Escambia County saw 42.7% of its housing stock damaged by the hurricane; Santa Rosa, 46.9%. The remaining money would be split among another eight counties. The task force found that more than 708,000 homes were damaged by last year’s storms; seniors who resided in older housing were more likely to face larger repair bills; and renters were less likely to receive assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), whose programs target home owners. More than 14,000 displaced Floridians are sheltered in temporary trailers provided by FEMA.
Pensacola News Journal (2/16/05); Aaron Deslatte: www.pensacolanewsjournal.com

The Strong, Silent Type

Insulated concrete form builder Karl W. White, of White Haus Presidential Homes in Oregon, first used the technique for his own home in West Linn and now says, “I’ll never live in a wooden house again. On average, houses built with insulated concrete walls require 44% less energy to heat and 32% less energy to cool than comparable frame houses, according to the Insulating Concrete Form Association, and they are especially attractive in places with wide swings in temperature, such as Texas, the upper Midwest and Las Vegas. The walls — made of concrete, metal and a tough plastic called polystyrene — are twice as thick as those in a typical wood-frame house, and the exterior may be finished with stucco, siding or shingles. Contractors say the concrete homes are 4%-8% more expensive than those made of wood, but the cost margin has been lowered by rising wood prices. No one tracks how many ICF homes are built nationwide, but NAHB estimates that the technique was used in 4% of total residential square footage in 2003, up from 1.2% in 1999.
The Oregonian (2/10/05); Steve Mayes: www.oregonian.com

In the Loop — Cul-de-sac Properties Promote Privacy, Sell at a Premium

Tom Beste, president of Premier Homes in Monroe, Mich., says that homes on cul-de-sacs generally capture a 15%-20% premium, depending on location and added amenities such as woods or extra-large lots. The limited access to traffic on cul-de-sacs is a huge draw, according to home builders, real estate agents and buyers, especially among young families. “People really like them,” says Beste. “It gives them a little more privacy and creates smaller communities in larger neighborhoods.” Although most city planners aren’t bothered by cul-de-sac designs, “The turning circles do have to be large enough to get trucks around,” says Professor Robin Boyle, associate dean of the College of Urban, Labor and Metropolitan Affairs at Wayne State University in Detroit. “Some fire marshals will require roundabouts that can accommodate a city’s largest emergency vehicle," he notes. Planners “just don’t like to see the streets get too long,” he said. “A lot of communities have street-length restrictions. I guess if there’s an emergency, they want to be able to get in and out quickly.”
Detroit Free Press (2/13/05); Lauralee Ortiz: www.freep.com

City Sued for Inclusionary Zoning Law

The Apartment Association of South Central Wisconsin has filed a lawsuit against a controversial inclusionary zoning law that requires developers to make 15% of the units in housing projects with more than 10 units lower-cost for working families making less than the median income. The association is only challenging restrictions on rental apartments, not owner-occupied units, which it says are in violation of state law that bans municipalities from regulating the amount of rent that can be charged. The association’s executive director Nancy Jensen says that the new law is making it harder to create low-cost rental housing. “Developers are uneasy about building when there’s uncertainty,” she said. “It’s currently a barrier to creating affordable housing in Madison.” The city’s Planning Unit director confirms that no lower-cost rental or condo units have been completed since the law took effect, but two plans have been approved.
Wisconsin State Journal (2/13/05); Dean Mosiman: www.madison.com

Wired — More Homes Come Ready Made for High-Tech Users

Home surveillance hasn’t really caught on in the Bloomington, Ind., area yet, but Jim Jones says that his company, Jim Jones Electric, is installing the wiring in new homes so cameras can be added. It’s part of a prewiring package that’s become standard in homes built by Stelle Homes, whose vice president, Ed Neaves, plans on installing cameras on the front and back porches of his new home so he can monitor his dogs when they’re in the back yard. The cameras, the width of a dime, add about $600 to the cost of a home. Paul Lopez, of NAHB, said that prewiring for home security, audio and high-speed Interned access isn’t just for high-end homes these days. “We do a monthly survey among our builders and that is something that’s becoming more and more on everybody’s radar. It’s people trying to make their home their castle. They invest in high-end TVs, stereo, security and don’t want to fumble around with ripping into walls and looking for wires.” General contractor Mark Widdell of Armstrong Builders said he’s prewiring about 75% of his homes at a price tag of about $2,000, including speakers in the kitchen, living room and master bedroom.
The Pentagraph (2/11/05); Kate Arthur: www.pentagraph.com

Shy Salamander Has Developers on Tenterhooks

Downgraded last year by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from endangered to threatened, the reclusive and rarely seen California tiger salamander is credited with delaying a dozen major construction projects on the Santa Rosa plain in Sonoma County, Calif., including new housing subdivisions, a shopping mall and an elementary school. Builders say that the salamander has put on hold the construction of as many as 2,000 homes and apartment units in the area. “With salamander studies tying up projects literally for years, there’s not a shovel in the ground, and the production of workforce housing has really been hampered in southwest Santa Rosa,” said Charlie Carson, executive director of the northern division of the Home Builders Association of Northern California. Builders say mitigation measures for the amphibian would add about $25,000 to the cost of a single-family house. Meanwhile, a panel is trying to protect the salamander’s breeding pools. Buying enough rural land to save the salamander in Sonoma County could cost between $200 and $400 million, exceeding the cost of the county’s biggest public works projects.
San Francisco Chronicle (2/18/05); Jim Doyle: www.sfgate.com

Green Buildings Reduce Toxic Buildup

Frank Laskey, owner of Capital Construction in Ballston Spa, N.Y., has built one of the five demonstration homes that are part of a New York State Energy Research and Development Authority project highlighting green building practices. Located in the town of Wilton, N.Y., where Laskey is building a subdivision of 22 green homes, the home is a pilot project for the NAHB Research Center and will be used to help establish green building guidelines in New York State. It also meets or exceeds Energy Star standards and the American Lung Association’s healthy house guidelines. Laskey also built a home for Richard and Jane Leifer using such materials as natural sisal grass carpeting on the cellar stairs and bamboo and cork flooring for interior rooms. The couple added radiant-heat floors to keep the home drier and prevent moisture-caused bacteria from growing. “The motivation for us was that my wife is chemically sensitive, and a lot of modern building materials are dangerous to her health,” said Richard Leifer, director of executive programs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. “It’s great to be able to walk in your house without having breathing problems, a runny nose and headaches.”
Chicago Tribune (2/11/05); Frances Ingraham Heins, New York Times News Service: www.chicagotribune.com

Mortgage Intro Rates Near 1%

Mortgage lenders are using low teaser rates as a way to attract customers at a time when business has slowed. The option adjustable-rate mortgages carry an initial rate as low as 1%, which can last as little as one to three months before the rate typically jumps above 4% or more. Borrowers can choose a monthly payment — a minimum payment, an interest-only payment or the standard payment on a comparable mortgage. Buyers pay 2.25 points upfront, which is usually rolled into the loan amount. IndyMac Bancorp reports that 30% of its mortgage customers are choosing its Pay-Option ARM, which starts at 1%. At Washington Mutual Inc., short-term ARMs accounted for $19 billion, or 40% of the company’s mortgage originations in last year’s fourth quarter, up from 24% a year earlier. In California, the loans account for as much as 20% of the current mortgage volume, according to Todd Householder, an executive vice president at National City Corp.
Contra Costa Times (2/18/05); Ruth Simon, Wall Street Journal: www.contracostatimes.com

‘New Urbanism’ Embraces Latinos

Latino new urbanism in denser, walkable neighborhoods where people live, work and play is taking hold in California and Texas, the nation’s two most populous states and the ones with the largest number of Hispanics. Almost one-third of California home buyers had Hispanic surnames last June, according to DataQuick Information Systems, up from less than one-fifth in 2002. One of the five “Pilot Villages” approved by San Diego last year — Mi Pueblo in San Ysidro near the Mexican border — is pure Latino new urbanism. It eventually will have 1,143 residential units, with facades in vibrant red, blue, yellow and green. Three-bedroom, two-bath homes are selling there for $270,000, about half the local median. “I think Latinos can be the ideal audience for a new urbanist conversation,” said former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, who is the chairman of American CityVista in San Antonio. The company develops homes in city neighborhoods that haven’t seen new housing in decades. Cisneros advocates designs that fit Hispanic families — from big kitchens with gas stoves for grilling tortillas to courtyards for social gatherings, multiple bedrooms for large and extended families and driveways that accommodate many cars.
USA Today (2/16/05); Haya El Nasser: www.usatoday.com

Firm Markets Steel Frames for Home Building

PanaSteel LLC has opened an office in Evans, Ga., to market its residential steel-frame building system as a better alternative to traditional lumber, and is under contract to supply frames for two local custom homes. Workers at the company’s headquarters in Savannah use computer-controlled machinery to fabricate the light gauge steel-frame panels according to a project’s architectural plans. Although steel ages better than wood, is straight, can speed up construction time and reduce construction site waste, according to its proponents, the material only has about 3% of the market. NAHB economist Michael Carliner says that price plays the biggest role in steel-frame usage. Interest peaked during the lumber price spike of 1993-94 but has since fallen as wood prices have stabilized and last year’s steel shortage boosted its price. However, “The next generation, I predict, will be able to walk into any home builder’s office and get a steel-framed home at the same, or a lower cost, than wood,” said Larry Williams, president of the Steel Framing Alliance.
Augusta Chronicle, Ga. (2//11/05); Damon Cline: www.augustachronicle.com

It’s Increasingly Tough for Firms to Relocate Here

The high cost of doing business and the lack of affordable housing for employees is keeping some companies from coming to Ventura, Calif., according to John Boyd Jr., a consultant with the Boyd Co. of New Jersey, which advises businesses on the value or cost of locating in certain areas. Ventura County was ranked the eighth most expensive among the 30 cities included in his firm’s study. San Francisco was most expensive and Fresno was the least expensive in the state. Sioux Falls, S.D., was the least expensive on the list. Boyd said that cities such as Phoenix or Denver have competed with California's cities for business for years, but those areas have also grown increasingly more expensive. The latest trend has been to locate in the Southwest and Midwest — in places such as Oklahoma City or Sioux Falls.
Ventura County Star, Calif. (2/16/05); Allison Bruce: www.venturacountystar.com

South Carolina City Sued by Builders for Blocking Low-Income, Minority Housing

West Columbia, S.C., has violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) by interfering with a developer’s efforts to produce housing for the city’s low-income, minority households, according to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina — Connelly Development, LLC, and the National Association of Home Builders v. the City of West Columbia.

"In a city that has a demonstrated shortage of housing for its low-income, minority citizens, West Columbia actively made decisions that interfered with a developer’s sincere effort to provide housing that would help meet the needs of its low-income, minority residents,” said NAHB President David Wilson.

Connelly Development, LLC, planned to build a low-income rental project called Tanners Crossing for tenants earning 60% or less of the area’s median income.

Kevin Connelly, the company’s president, successfully navigated all of the land use, zoning and financing challenges for the community, but the city withheld one last but vital approval: sewer service. The city decided not to approve a sewer hook-up for the project, even though sewer lines already existed, no costly extension of new lines was necessary and there was more than sufficient capacity within the current infrastructure to accommodate the new housing.

Without final sewer approval, Connelly became ineligible for low-income housing tax credits (LIHTCs) from the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority and the development was no longer financially feasible.

Compounding the problem, after the opportunity for receiving 2004 tax credits had passed, the city annexed the Tanners Crossing site and placed a restrictive zoning classification on it preventing it from being used for multifamily housing.

“West Columbia’s low-income minority citizens, who would have benefited from affordable rents at Tanners Crossing, were deprived of decent, affordable housing because the city interfered with the project’s development,” Wilson said.

U.S. Census Bureau statistics show that 77.5% of renter households in West Columbia are black and that 21% more of the city’s black population lives below the poverty line than whites.

The average monthly rent for a unit at Tanners Crossing would have been $543.

Connelly has a proven track record of obtaining tax credit allocations from the authority in South Carolina, which has enabled him to build 434 affordable housing units in nine projects throughout the state.

NAHB has joined the suit because the city’s actions run contrary to the association’s efforts to promote housing for minority households.

“NAHB seeks to ensure that its members can build affordable housing for all people throughout the United States,” Wilson said. “One of our guiding principles can be found in the Housing Act of 1949, which calls on this nation to provide a ‘decent home and a suitable living environment for every American family.’ ”

Connelly and NAHB are seeking declaratory relief and a finding that West Columbia’s interference with the development of Tanners Crossing is a discriminatory practice that violated the FHA. Connelly is also seeking damages for the lost development opportunity.

For more information, e-mail Mary Lynn Pickel, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8485.

Housing Snapshot

Mortgage interest rates rose slightly last week but remained at affordable levels. The market seemed to focus on positive economic news, said Freddie Mac Chief Economist Frank Nothaft, causing mortgage interest rates to go up. "That said, January housing starts were the highest in over 20 years," he said, "and that is based on higher rates than we are currently experiencing. All in all, the little run-up in rates that occurred this week will not be enough to cause a significant slowdown in current housing market activity." The economic news turned less favorable last Friday, when the Labor Department announced that the Producer Price Index was up 0.3% in January and the core rate was up 0.8%, the highest in more than six years. The Conference Board announced that consumer confidence was down in February but still ahead of levels a year earlier. The National Association of Business Economics predicted that the nation's economy will grow by 3.6% this year, down from 4.4% in 2004. Lumber prices continued to rise last week, but at a considerably slower pace than in previous weeks. The cost of framing lumber rose to $426 per 1,000 board feet, up from $422 the previous week and $374 a year earlier, according to Random Lengths. The panel composite price, which includes plywood and oriented strand board, rose to $459 per 1,000 square feet, up from $455 during the previous week. It was $549 one year earlier.

Mortgage Interest Rates

30 Year Fixed Rate: 5.62\%
15 Year Fixed Rate: 5.14\%
1 Year ARM: 4.15\%

Housing Starts: Jan. 2005

Total: 2.159 million\%
Single Family: 1.76 million\%
Multi Family: 399,000\%

New Home Sales: Dec. 2004 *

1.098 million

Existing Home Sales: Dec. 2004 *

6.69 million

* Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate

NAHB Is Your Business Partner

If you were one of the record 105,000 housing professionals who attended this year’s International Builders’ Show in Orlando, then you saw for yourself that nobody puts on a show like NAHB. From the largest assembly anywhere of cutting-edge building products and services to presentations by expert speakers on the issues that are shaping our industry, in four super-charged days NAHB’s annual exposition provides the resources and the ideas that can keep your business ahead of the competition.

NAHB is the best business partner you could have, not just at the start of the year but all year long. I am committed to providing our members with the tools they need to score success in an industry that is always fraught with challenges. We are fired up about prospects for housing in 2005 and we are ready to deliver. In the coming year, we’re going to continue to focus on what NAHB does best, and we’re going to do it better than ever.

One of our top priorities is improving the business environment in which we all operate. This means eliminating the regulatory barriers that frustrate our efforts to supply the housing that is sorely needed in our growing communities. And it means empowering our members with educational opportunities so that they will have the wide range of abilities needed to prosper in the home building business — to assess your marketplace, provide your prospective customers with what they want, run an effective operation, navigate the approval process, turn neighbors into supporters of your housing plans and much, much more.

We’re going to be more proactive in moving forward our legislative agenda in the 109th Congress. We’re going to tackle issues head-on. One of the top issues emerging in the Senate will be reforms for the housing industry’s government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) — Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks. Following the recommendations of a specially appointed NAHB task force on this issue, our board of directors has just approved major policy on oversight reform, and we’re ready to lead the debate.

Another goal we will continue to pursue with full determination is increasing the supply of affordable workforce housing for teachers, police officers, fire fighters and other essential employees who have been priced out of living in the communities they serve. We brought this issue to national attention last year and identified resources and approaches that will begin to address the problem. We will pursue those initiatives this year, and we will also continue our support for proposals by the Bush Administration to create a homeownership tax credit and a zero-downpayment FHA mortgage to boost homeownership opportunities in this country.

In our commitment to make NAHB your true business partner, we will also be increasing our efforts this year on retaining current members and acquiring new ones. Membership is the lifeblood of this association. Our grassroots membership is the source of our strength, and in 2005 we plan to make the members of our federation even stronger through the expansion of NAHB’s educational programs and networking opportunities, including the 20 Clubs.

Finally, I want to let you know about the Home Builders Care/National Housing Endowment-Tsunami Shelter Fund. With an initial donation of $250,000 designated by the NAHB Board of Directors in Orlando, the fund will be directed to rebuilding efforts that provide temporary and permanent shelter for survivors. I have asked Bob Mitchell, a past president of NAHB, to lead this effort. We will be working with U.S. charitable organizations to demonstrate our concern, and I urge you to join in this effort through a tax-deductible donation. For more information in this issue of Nation's Building News on how you can do your part to address the shelter needs of nations devastated by the tsunami, click here.

You can ask the President of the United States, leaders in the Congress, the chairman of the Federal Reserve or the top economists in the country, and they will all tell you that housing has been the driving force supporting our economy for the past several years. And you can ask the parents of your childrens’ friends at school, members of your church congregation, people standing in the checkout line at the grocery store, and they will tell you that there are few things more important for their families than housing. That is an awesome responsibility for a single industry, but one in which we can all take great professional pride.

I promise you that NAHB will continue to be your voice — the voice of housing in America. I look forward to serving you and our entire membership.

Senate Bill Offers Affordable Health Coverage for Employees of Small Businesses

Legislation introduced on Feb. 17 by Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Jim Talent (R-Mo.) and Christopher “Kit” Bond (R-Mo.) that would allow as many as 2 million working families who are currently uninsured to obtain health coverage at an affordable cost received a strong endorsement from the nation’s home builders.

“S. 406, the ‘Small Business Health Fairness Act,’ is a bipartisan measure that would provide our members with greater options to secure stable and affordable health care coverage for their employees,” said NAHB President David Wilson.

Other original cosponsors include Sens. Robert Byrd (D-W. Va.), Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and David Vitter (R-La.).

Earlier this month, similar legislation (H.R. 525) that would allow small businesses to band together to form association health plans was introduced in the House by Reps. John Boehner (R-Ohio), Sam Johnson (R-Texas), Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) and Albert Wynn (D-Md.).

President Bush has indicated he intends to make passage of association health plan legislation a key component of his domestic policy agenda for 2005. During his State of the Union address on Feb. 2, Bush urged lawmakers to create “association health plans for small businesses and their employees,” and at public appearances in Washington and around the country he continues to call for congressional action on the plans.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there are roughly 45 million uninsured Americans today, up from 41 million four years ago and 43.6 million in the past two years. More than 24 million of these workers are employed by small businesses.

“Many of NAHB’s 220,000 member-firms consist of small business employers who have experienced dramatic increases in health insurance premium costs in recent years, making it difficult to provide quality health insurance at an affordable price. Association health plans will put small businesses on an equal footing with large employers and unions when it comes to negotiating lower insurance costs. In short, they will bring Fortune 500 health benefits to Main Street small businesses, their employees and working families,” said Wilson.

To read the legislation, click here and enter the bill number in the box at the upper left.

For more information, e-mail Michael Strauss, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8252.

OSHA Stepping Up Efforts to Make Construction Trenching Safer

Recognizing that excavation is one of the most hazardous construction operations and that it has been responsible for a rising number of deaths, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is stepping up its efforts in this area.

Printed in English on one side and Spanish on the other, a new information pocket card now available from OSHA, “Safety in Excavations or Trenches,” has been designed to help workers and employers understand safe trenching practices and federal requirements for construction excavation safety.

OSHA has also announced that it will be implementing a National Emphasis Program for trenching operations aimed at reducing fatalities in the construction industry. Under this program, OSHA will be targeting and scheduling inspections of job sites where trenching operations are most likely.

OSHA recently revised its construction excavation standards to make them easier to understand, permit the use of performance criteria where possible and provide construction employers with options when classifying soil and selecting employee protection methods.

In the safety information provided on the pocket card, OSHA warns workers not to enter an unprotected excavation or trench, and it advises that all excavations or trenches that are five feet deep or greater require a protective system.

The card states that the walls of the excavation or trench must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Sloped for stability
• Cut to create stepped or benched grades
• Supported by a system made with posts, beams, shores or planking and hydraulic jacks
• Supported by a trench box to protect workers in an excavation or trench
• Excavated materials must be at least two feet away from the excavation or trench.
• An exit ladder must be within 25 feet of workers.

It should be noted that several states operate their own state OSHA programs and they may have adopted requirements for excavations and trenching that are different from the information presented above. If you live in a state with its own state plan, you should contact your local administrator for further information on the regulations applicable in your state.

For more information, e-mail Rob Matuga at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8507.

Watch for a New Look for Nation's Building News

Coming next month, Nation's Building News Online will have a new look and even more of the information you need and want — like the latest lumber prices, interest rates, floor plans, builder tips and industry news and information. Building news that will make your business click.

The new NBN will arrive in an even easier-to-read and more “user-friendly” format — with color-coded category tabs to help you locate information of interest to you quickly and weekly charts to give you an instant read on important economic information like starts, sales and prices on framing lumber, OSB and plywood.

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Good Design Can Overcome Community Opposition to Affordable Housing

Good design can help overcome opposition to affordable housing developments across the country, and it can be achieved for no more than it costs to develop the barest code-minimum housing, according to “Good Design: The Best Kept Secret in Community Development,” a recent report from the Local Initiatives Support Corp.

“Higher design quality may be the single most cost-effective strategy currently available to improve the quality, asset value and acceptance of affordable housing,” say the report’s authors, Deane Evans and Jody Beck of the New Jersey Institute of Technology Center for Architecture and Building Science Research.

“Good design can be the critical difference between an affordable development that succeeds — one that satisfies its residents and neighbors, enhances the community where it is built and remains a stable part of that community long after the ribbon is cut — and one that doesn’t,” the report says.

While much of the public resistance to affordable housing is “self-serving,” the report also acknowledges that, “A legacy of large, poorly designed affordable housing projects has been firmly established in the public imagination, and this is what opponents often envision when a new development is proposed.”

The report emphasizes that good design goes far behind what a building looks like, encompassing considerations such as “access to light, air, views, pleasant circulation patterns and spaces that are safe, easy to maintain and suitable for the activities that take place in them.”

Elements of good design, according to the report, can include:

• Paths and walkways that are pleasurable to use
• A visually complex and interesting building façade
• Open spaces designed like “outdoor rooms”
• Unit layouts that provide access to daylight and views in every room
• Parking plans that minimize interaction between vehicles and pedestrians

The report advocates designs that meet the needs of occupants, respond to the building’s physical context and enhance their neighborhoods. Projects should also be “built to last,” the report says, “by using materials, systems and finishes that are durable, easy to maintain and energy-efficient.”

As evidence that good design is too expensive for affordable projects, community development organizations often point to the high cost of well-designed, market-rate housing, the report says. But costs of market-rate housing are higher primarily because they provide more and better amenities, such as larger spaces, more expensive appliances, better finishes and fixtures. “None of these amenities, however, is central to achieving design quality,” the report says.

The report recommends the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Affordable Housing Design Advisor as a resource; the Web site contains 80 case studies of well-designed projects that were developed within the cost constraints confronting affordable housing developers.

Watch for a New Look for Nation's Building News

Coming next month, Nation's Building News Online will have a new look and even more of the information you need and want — like the latest lumber prices, interest rates, floor plans, builder tips and industry news and information. Building news that will make your business click.

The new NBN will arrive in an even easier-to-read and more “user-friendly” format — with color-coded category tabs to help you locate information of interest to you quickly and weekly charts to give you an instant read on important economic information like starts, sales and prices on framing lumber, OSB and plywood.

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Log Home Event Slated for Denver in the Heart of Log Home Country

A unique opportunity for builders and log home manufacturers interested in a behind-the-scenes look at the log home industry, this year’s President’s Tour by the NAHB Log Homes Council is being held in Denver, the capital of one of the top states for log home construction.

“Bringing the log homes industry to Colorado is important and exciting,” said the council’s vice president, Mark Feder, of Appalachian Log Structures, “Colorado features numerous styles of log homes, both manufactured and handcrafted, and attendees of the President’s Tour will be able to experience them.”

Feder will become president of the council during the March 20-23 President’s Tour. Held at the Westin Tabor Center in the city’s lower downtown area, the event will include tours, educational sessions, networking and meetings. Event registration is open until March 9.

This year’s itinerary includes:

• A morning snowmobiling tour in Breckenridge on March 20; followed by afternoon Log Homes Council meetings of the Benchmark, Log Grading and Technical Committees and an evening welcome reception
• Visits on March 21 to residential and commercial projects by Montana-based handcrafter Custom Log Homes and Finland-based manufacturer Honka Homes
• March 22 opens with a general meeting of the Log Homes Council — an excellent primer for interested builders on the goals, mission and current focus of the council — and continues with a tour of industry supplier Sashco Sealants; an educational session, “Navigating the Seven Stages of Enterprise Growth,” at world-famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre; a visit to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo.; and the annual Log Homes Council banquet.

For more information about the log homes industry and the Log Homes Council, click here (www.loghomes.org), or call 800-368-5242 x8576.

Virginia's Rep. Goode Honored for Supporting Manufacturing

Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.) was honored by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) for his support of American-based manufacturing during a ceremony at Cardinal Homes, a modular home manufacturer in Wylliesburg, Va.

Goode received the Award for Manufacturing Legislative Excellence in recognition of his supportive voting record on key legislation affecting manufacturing.

Goode's congressional district includes several counties in southwest Virginia and is home to at least nine modular home manufacturing facilities. Three NAHB Building Systems Councils (BSC) members — Cardinal Homes, Nationwide Custom Homes and Mod-U-Kraf Homes — have modular plants in Goode's district.

Bret Berneche, CEO of Cardinal Homes and former BSC chairman, presented Goode with the award.

Goode, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 1996, serves on the House Appropriations Committee and its agriculture and military construction subcommittees. He is also the vice chairman of the Veterans Administration/Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee.

Prior to being elected to Congress, Goode was a Virginia state senator from 1973 to 1996.

Health Care and Schools Hot Markets for Design and Construction Firms in 2005

Health care, K-12 and higher education will be among the hottest markets for design and construction firms in 2005, according to ZweigWhite’s "2005 AEC Industry Outlook: Strategy and Insight for Design & Construction Firms." The Architecture Engineering Construction business has outperformed the U.S. economy as a whole in recent years, including 2004, and the design and construction industry expects to see more of the same this year.

In a survey conducted in conjunction with the ZweigWhite report, 40% of respondents expect the AEC business to outperform the U.S. economy this year, while only 20% expect it to lag behind.

Respondents reported that 2004 produced strong results for their firms, and predict their businesses will be even better in 2005. Fifty-seven percent expect their businesses to be "outstanding" or "excellent" in 2005; 47% reported those levels of business performance last year.

The survey also asked respondents to rank prospects for 25 markets this year, and health care, K-12 schools and higher education came out on top.

• Health Care. In addition to the design and construction leaders who ranked the health care market first, the U.S. Department of Commerce projects that health care construction put in place will grow 7.9% in 2005, the fastest of any market sector. The needs are high, and the money is there. Double-digit increases in health insurance costs are providing capital, and an aging population and advancements in technology are increasing demand.
•  K-12. Demographics, voter-approved bond measures, strong property tax revenue and court-mandated programs will move the K-12 market to the head of the class in 2005. Many school systems in the South and West need to expand to accommodate growing populations, while changes in school-finance formulas in some states have led to court-ordered school construction programs in poorer, urban districts.
• Higher Education. Higher education construction is at an all-time high. With the "baby boom echo" on its way, colleges and universities will need to upgrade and expand residence halls and educational facilities to deal with the population surge. Improvements to state budgets and a rebounding stock market will help financing.

For more information on the report, click here.

Watch for a New Look for Nation's Building News

Coming next month, Nation's Building News Online will have a new look and even more of the information you need and want — like the latest lumber prices, interest rates, floor plans, builder tips and industry news and information. Building news that will make your business click.

The new NBN will arrive in an even easier-to-read and more “user-friendly” format — with color-coded category tabs to help you locate information of interest to you quickly and weekly charts to give you an instant read on important economic information like starts, sales and prices on framing lumber, OSB and plywood.

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Mold and Real Estate Deals Not a Good Mix

More than three-quarters of builders and real estate lenders know of someone backing out of a real estate transaction because of mold problems, according to a new poll conducted by Environmental Assurance Group (EAG), a small environmental services company in West Hartford, Conn. In addition, respondents who have been involved with mold-related incidents in commercial real estate transactions said it takes an average of $11 million to remediate.

The survey of 40 high-profile real estate developers and banking executives was undertaken to assess mold's financial impact on the real estate market. As mold and the resulting lawsuits have spread across the country, many builders and lenders are taking precautions to protect themselves from liability because of the mold exclusions written by the insurance industry in the last two years.

"This survey confirms the worst fears of major stakeholders in the real estate business — mold is costing big money," said Charles Perry, principal of EAG and a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association mold task force. "Since insurers fled the scene, liability claims have escalated and the devaluation of loan collateral has accelerated. Now lenders, who hold 80% of the risk on a standard real estate transaction, and developers, who hold the other 20%, are scrambling to mitigate risk from an environmental problem that could surpass asbestos and lead paint in its financial consequences."

In fact, when asked what kind of environmental contamination they feared the most in a real estate project, more than half (24 of 40) of those surveyed cited mold. In contrast, asbestos ranked a distant second (eight of 40), followed by mercury (two of 40), and radon (two of 40).  Seven respondents chose "all of the above."

"How has mold risen to the top of the worry list so fast?" asked Perry. "Because to date we've not been focused on preventing mold; we've only been looking at how to fix the problem. Unfortunately, there is no 'cure' for mold. It has baffled many builders and remediators with its ability to reoccur just weeks after it has been scraped or sprayed away… For the lender, if a borrower defaults and you can't guarantee clean-up on the property, it greatly compromises your ability to get your money's worth out of the investment. If commercial tenants or building managers are spending millions of dollars to remediate a mold infestation, how protected can lenders be if the mold returns in 30 days?"

Some builders have already adopted mold-resistant construction techniques such as a capillary break under the foundation, a waterproof roofing system, windows with low potential for condensation and newly developed mechanical ventilation systems. The new techniques are designed to avoid excess water buildup and reduce the likelihood of leakage.

"Lenders are also considering the requirement of mold inspections pre-, during and post-construction for new real estate loans," said Perry. "Unlike most inspections, a mold-specific (Indoor Air Quality) engineer will know where, how and when to look for it, saving the lender, the borrower and the builder thousands of dollars as well as litigation nightmares.”

Watch for a New Look for Nation's Building News

Coming next month, Nation's Building News Online will have a new look and even more of the information you need and want — like the latest lumber prices, interest rates, floor plans, builder tips and industry news and information. Building news that will make your business click.

The new NBN will arrive in an even easier-to-read and more “user-friendly” format — with color-coded category tabs to help you locate information of interest to you quickly and weekly charts to give you an instant read on important economic information like starts, sales and prices on framing lumber, OSB and plywood.

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Interest in Residential Construction Superintendent Designation Surges

An educational session on the Residential Construction Superintendent (RCS) designation attracted an overflow crowd at last month’s International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Fla., and course offerings for the designation have recently surged across the country.

“The Making of a Super Superintendent” featured a panel discussion of the RCS designation by Paul Thompson, executive vice president, Florida Home Builders Association; Marylee Putnam, education and credentialing manager, Greater Atlanta HBA; Beth McGee, executive officer, Metro Orlando HBA; and Paul Mashburn, president of Viking Builders in Orlando.

“The RCS designation is a win-win for all parties involved” said Putnam. “Members truly recognize the utility in sending their employees through these courses because of the crucial nature of this position to a company.”

An initiative of the Home Builders Institute, the workforce development arm of NAHB, the RCS designation curriculum is aimed at aspiring and current field superintendents and consists of eight four-hour courses. The courses are typically offered through local home builders associations, although they have been expanded to state-wide offerings in Florida and California.

The RCS course schedule for the first half of this year lists more than 90 courses at 12 HBAs in 10 states.

The designation curriculum covers topics that were identified by NAHB members as critical to a field supervisory job:

• General Project Management
• Planning and Scheduling
• Budget Management and Cost Control
• Customer Service and Home Owner Relations
• Safety and Security
• Codes and Quality Control
• Hiring, Training and Supervision
• Office and Subcontractor Relations

For more information on the RCS designation, e-mail Joe Krinock at HBI, or call him at 800-795-7955 x8928.

Take Advantage of National Designation Month — Before It Ends

February is National Designation Month and to celebrate the month The NAHB University of Housing is offering more than 140 classes throughout the month.

The NAHB University of Housing offers more than a dozen professional designations covering industry basics such as business management and marketing techniques, along with specialized courses including aging-in-place programs, property management and more.

Earning a designation allows NAHB members to hone their business skills and convey to their clients that they have superior training, practical experience and in-depth knowledge.

Additionally, designation holders can take advantage of valuable networking opportunities throughout their enrollment by working closely with expert instructors and other professionals both within their field and outside their specific areas of expertise.

To participate in National Designation Month, visit Designation Month Resources on the NAHB Web site.

Watch for a New Look for Nation's Building News

Coming next month, Nation's Building News Online will have a new look and even more of the information you need and want — like the latest lumber prices, interest rates, floor plans, builder tips and industry news and information. Building news that will make your business click.

The new NBN will arrive in an even easier-to-read and more “user-friendly” format — with color-coded category tabs to help you locate information of interest to you quickly and weekly charts to give you an instant read on important economic information like starts, sales and prices on framing lumber, OSB and plywood.

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U.S. and State Legislators Hail the Success of Project CRAFT in Texas

In other news on HBI’s Project CRAFT program, a 2004 graduate of Project Craft/Nashville returned last week to visit with his instructor, Emmett Atkins, and to speak to the class about the value of his HBI training.

Corey Hunter completed the program last March. With an interest in construction and trucks, he attended truck driving school and began working for CRST Transportation in July. Today, he earns more than $1,000 a week delivering building materials and supplies.

Hunter practices the hands-on skills he learned in Project CRAFT by helping friends and family in home remodeling projects and repairs. Once he completes a full year with CRST, he hopes to transfer to a local trucking company so he can return to school at Tennessee State University.

Project CRAFT introduces adjudicated adolescents to employment opportunities in the construction field. The program has garnered the respect of policymakers and workforce development professionals for its skills training, academic instruction and its 89% job placement rate.

Home Builders Institute, the workforce development arm of NAHB, has helped more than 250,000 people enter careers in the home building industry. In addition to providing skills training, it actively promotes careers in residential construction and helps meet the industry’s labor needs.

For more information on HBI programs, e-mail Maria McIntyre or call her at 800-795-7955 x8912.

Watch for a New Look for Nation's Building News

Coming next month, Nation's Building News Online will have a new look and even more of the information you need and want — like the latest lumber prices, interest rates, floor plans, builder tips and industry news and information. Building news that will make your business click.

The new NBN will arrive in an even easier-to-read and more “user-friendly” format — with color-coded category tabs to help you locate information of interest to you quickly and weekly charts to give you an instant read on important economic information like starts, sales and prices on framing lumber, OSB and plywood.

Subscribe Your Employees to Nation’s Building News — Chance to Win Digital Camera

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Termites Would Rather Starve Than Eat New Pest-Resistant Pine on Windows and Doors

In the ongoing fight against termites, JELD-WEN, Inc. has developed AuraLast™ wood windows and doors built with solid pine; they carry a 20-year warranty against termite infestation and wood decay.

Based in Klamath Falls, Ore., JELD-WEN is a member of the National Council of the Housing Industry — the Supplier 100 of NAHB.

“In our tests, termites show no affinity to AuraLast wood and will literally starve to death before they’ll touch it,” said Joyce Richter, JELD-WEN windows communications manager. “It’s definitely the biggest revolution to hit the wood window and door market in decades.”

Unlike the standard treatment process in which pieces of wood are dipped in a solution that gives them a thin top coating, AuraLast wood is treated in a vacuum/pressure process that forces the active anti-termite ingredients all the way through to the core of the wood so that screw and nail holes don't compromise its integrity.

Since the active ingredients in AuraLast wood are water- instead of chemical-based, there is a 96% decrease in volatile organic compounds during production, according to the manufacturer. The wood can then be painted or stained as normal.

Starting this year, all JELP-WEN pine windows and patio doors come with AuraLast wood as standard.

For more information, click here or call 800-877-9482 xPRWOOD.

This feature is solely for educational and informational purposes. Nothing on this page should be construed as policy, an endorsement, warranty or guaranty by the National Association of Home Builders of the featured product or the product manufacturer. The National Association of Home Builders expressly disclaims any responsibility for any damages arising from the use, application or reliance on any information contained on this page.

Reentrant Corners and Other 'Flamboozlements'

Dear Builder’s Engineer,

[In response to your column regarding 4- or 5-inch slabs,] could you better explain the placement of #4 bars at the reentrant corners?

A few other questions regarding thickness: if using radiant heating in a slab, does it need to be thicker? Are there any other concerns relating to the heat in the slab or the pipes that might cause cracking or weakness? — Jeff Williams, Williams Development, Inc., Bakersfield, Calif.

Jeff,

Don’t feel alone about not understanding “reentrant corners.” Most of my mail over the past few weeks has puzzled over the same question.

A reentrant corner is nothing more than a corner poking into the building footprint. You could also call it an interior corner. I don’t know why the code folks don’t just call them that: interior, as opposed to, say, exterior, but both the Uniform Building Code (UBC) and the International Building Code (IBC) like “reentrant” instead.

Maybe it’s because “reentrant” is not really a word? It wouldn’t be the first time code writers dreamed up fake “codespeak” to “flamboozle” us, ensuring their masterwork remains veiled in a shroud of mystery that only they and their best buddies understand. Not that I don’t trust them, but just to be sure I looked up “reentrant” in Webster’s Collegiate and was shocked to find it, right there between reenforce (I always thought it was “reinforce”), and reest (chiefly a Scottish word, short for areest; to arrest). “Sheesh.” Clearly this is not a well-used section of the dictionary. Anyway, here is our definition: reentrant — directed inward.

Okay, so it really is a word, but one that none of us in the real world has ever used or heard before; or will ever actually have pass over our lips while talking to other real humans. “Honey, will you please knock down the spider web in the corner there, yes, the reentrant corner by the stairs.”

Before moving on to something actually useful, here is an interesting side note. The new International Residential Code (IRC) doesn’t call them “reentrant”, but rather, interior, and for that matter, exterior; and actually has a diagram of same, Figure R602.10.5. This is such a critical piece of information, and I assume most readers of this column don’t walk around with a copy of the IRC strapped to their belt, that I have reproduced that sketch here (courtesy of the International Code Council, 2003 International Residential Code).

You will note the striking similarity between these two sketches. Detail (b) is the “reentrant” corner because gypsum wall board should always be on the “inside” of the building.

Now, lets say you’re pouring a slab with a “reentrant” corner. Here is a sketch showing where my previously mentioned two sticks of rebar should go to minimize the crack. (To avoid confusion, the grass and shrubs go on the “outside” of the building.)

Another thing you should know about “reentrant” corners: if you have one and it is a “bad” one (i.e. pokes more than 15% of the building’s overall dimension inward), and you are in seismic zone D, E or F (the “bad” seismic zones), you will have to overdesign certain earthquake resisting elements by 25% (IBC1620.4.1).

To answer the question about in-floor heating (a.k.a. “hydronic”) and slab thickness, I offer my own experience. The main floor of my house is wood-framed with a 1-1/2-inch thick stained concrete cap with hydronic heating tubes throughout. There are 3/8-inch deep sawcuts at 3-feet, each way. Other than some aesthetic stain/sealer problems that had nothing to do with thickness, my floor has performed beautifully. I know others insist on using thicker slabs with hydronic, but my experience doesn’t support that notion. My greatest concern was grazing a heating tube while saw cutting, but I had a real pro on the saw, and it didn’t happen.

Postscript. All this business about “reentrant” brings to mind a couple other important terms you can impress your friends with: minutiae – trifles, details; and esoteric – used and understood by a select few.

Tim Garrison of ConstructionCalc.com, is a professional engineer, author and software producer for the building industry. Send e-mail to buildersengineer@constructioncalc.com. Tim reads every one.

This column cannot be reprinted without permission from the author.

Robson Seeks Office of NAHB Vice President and Secretary

Bobby Rayburn, NAHB 2005 Nominations Committee chairman, has announced that Joe Robson of Broken Arrow, Okla., has been certified by the Nominations Committee to seek the office of NAHB Vice President and Secretary for the year 2006.

I’m a home builder and proud of it. For the last 21 years, I’ve developed land, built homes and worked on commercial and industrial projects. Along the way, I’ve fought growth boundaries, downzoning, impact fees, lack of insurance, anti-growth city councils, assaults on private property rights, lack of infrastructure and overzealous regulators.

I have been active in both the Tulsa and Oklahoma home builders associations and served as president of both. My varied background — from builder to banker to timber farmer to community volunteer — gives me a broad perspective to represent the many segments of the NAHB family. Since being elected to the NAHB Board in 1990, I have worked to protect and enhance our industry through the political process on a local, state and national level. We have a strong association, but it has not reached its full potential.

Let’s stir the pot, shake things up, harness the energy of 225,000 members and take NAHB to new heights.

NAHB Involvement

• Board of Directors since 1990
• Build PAC Trustee since 1993
• Capital Club member since 1992
• Home Automation Task Force, Single Family Production Committee, Smart Growth Task Force, Legal Action Committee, Budget Committee, Audit Committee, Mortgage Roundtable
• Chairman, Build PAC Golf Committee, 1993 & 1994
• Chairman, Capital Club, 1995
• Chairman, Build PAC, 1998
• Chairman, Resolutions Committee, 2001
• Chairman, Legislative and Regulatory Policy Task Force, 2002
• National Vice President, 2003 & 2004
• Chairman, Federal Government Affairs Committee, 2003
• Moderator, National Vice Presidents, 2004
• Vice Chairman, Budget Committee, 2005

For more information about Robson, click here (www.forestridge.com/GoJoe).

Housing Hall of Fame Inductee J. Bentley Owens, Jr., Dies at 77

James Bentley Owens, Jr., a second-generation Alabama builder who helped found the National Housing Endowment (NHE) and was inducted into NAHB’s National Housing Hall of Fame, died on Saturday, Feb. 12, at the age of 77.

Owens, a graduate of the University of Alabama School of Commerce and School of Law, was president of his company, J. B. Owens Realty Company, based in Birmingham. He served as president of the Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders and of the Home Builders Association of Alabama and as an NAHB Life Director.

In addition to NAHB’s Housing Hall of Fame, Owens was inducted into the hall of fame of the Birmingham AHB and the hall of fame of the state association.

At NHE, he was instrumental in helping to establish the Richard Sexton/NHE Scholarship Fund, the endowment’s first scholarship fund.

Owens was a longtime member of Mountain Brook Baptist Church, was president of the Mountain Brook Lions Club, chairman of the Republican Party of Jefferson County and a member of the Quarterback Club.

He was preceded in death by his son, Harris Fouché Owens, and is survived by his wife of 53 years, Kathleen Fouché Owens; daughter, Anne Roys Owens Kendrick; son, James Bentley Owens III; daughter, Leslie Ross Owens Mapes; daughter-in-law Mikran Denton Owens; 11 grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Anne Fouché Southard of Huntsville, Ala.; and several nieces and nephews.

Help Tsunami Survivors Rebuild Their Homes

Many NAHB members already have responded to the devastating earthquake and tsunami disaster in South Asia by generously giving to numerous relief agencies that are providing vital emergency assistance to the survivors. As the relief effort continues and moves from the acute, emergency phase into recovery, the home building industry is rallying to address the longer term need for temporary and permanent shelter in the tsunami-affected nations.

Over the years, NAHB and its members have united to help those in need, demonstrating time and again that Home Builders Care, a philosophy as well as a call to action that is emblematic of the industry's commitment to community service and charitable causes.

In response to what will be an overwhelming need for permanent shelter, NAHB and the National Housing Endowment have established the Home Builders Care/National Housing Endowment-Tsunami Shelter Fund to raise desperately needed funds.

With an initial donation of $250,000, designated by the NAHB Board of Directors at the International Builders’ Show, the fund will be directed to rebuilding efforts that provide temporary and permanent shelter for survivors.

Please help by making a tax deductible donation to the Home Builders Care/National Housing Endowment-Tsunami Shelter Fund. Money raised by the National Housing Endowment will be granted to one or more U.S. charitable relief organizations working to help tsunami survivors obtain temporary and permanent shelter.

Please direct your donation check to:

National Housing Endowment
1201 15th Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20005

Checks should be made payable to the National Housing Endowment and, in the memo section, please note the Tsunami Shelter Fund.

The NAHB Senior Officers have selected Past President Bob Mitchell to oversee and guide this fundraising effort.

For more information, contact Troy Patterson at the National Housing Endowment at 800-368-5242 x8483 or Kym Kilbourne in NAHB Public Affairs, x8447.

Earn NAHB WorldPoints^sm Rewards When You Charge

NAHB members are invited to apply for the only credit card that supports NAHB each time a purchase is made and rewards cardholders with points for travel, cash, brand-name merchandise and more.

Click here to learn more about the rates, fees, other costs and benefits associated with the use of the NAHB WorldPoints credit card from MBNA America Bank. Use the online application today.

For the most up-to-date details on the Member Advantage discount program and all of the participating companies, go to http://memberadvantage.nahb.org. Or visit www.nahb.org to explore the full range of benefits associated with membership in your local, state and national home builders associations.

Make Your Connection With www.nahb.org

Make your connection to the latest housing industry news and information with www.nahb.org — the official public and members-only Web site of NAHB.

Log in today to register for educational seminars, meetings and networking events; find important economic and housing data; and learn the latest developments in NAHB’s efforts to promote housing. It’s all available to you 24 hours a day at www.nahb.org. Just click the "Member Log In" button to get started.

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NAHB members, sign up three or more employees to receive Nation's Building News Online in the "Make Your Business Click" contest and you'll be automatically entered for a chance to win a FREE Sony Cyber-shot® Digital Camera. 

See official contest rules for more details.

All active NAHB members, HBA staff and executive officers are eligible.

Watch for a New Look for Nation's Building News

Coming this March, Nation's Building News will have a new look.

The new NBN will have even more of the information you need — like the latest lumber prices, interest rates, industry news and information that will help your business — in an even easier-to-read format.

Make Your Connection With www.nahb.org

Make your connection to the latest housing industry news and information with www.nahb.org — the official public and members-only Web site of NAHB.

Log in today to register for educational seminars, meetings and networking events; find important economic and housing data; and learn the latest developments in NAHB’s efforts to promote housing. It’s all available to you 24 hours a day at www.nahb.org. Just click the "Member Log In" button to get started.