NBN Online for the week of June 19, 2006

(Plain Text Version) for full graphical version, click here.

In This Issue:

Front Page
Supreme Court Rules Against Excessive Regulation
Harvard Predicts Continuing House Price Appreciation
Share Nation's Building News With Your Staff — It's Free
Home Builders Blitz Builds 400 Habitat Homes in One Week
Layouts for Living
Floor Plans: Luxury Townhomes, Affordable Rentals Rub Elbows
Coast to Coast
Less Housing for Residents of Average Pay, Report Says
Politics & Government
Pressure Grows to Rein in Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac
U.S.-Canada Accord Would Put Lumber on Shaky Ground
House Bill Appropriates $35.3 Billion for HUD
$19.8 Billion Added for Hurricane Recovery
Housing Priorities Discussed With Howard Dean
Economics & Finance
Slowing Market Sends Builder Expectations Lower
Eye on the Economy: Housing Wealth Effect Will Weaken
Tips
Builder’s Tip: A Free Caulk-Finishing Tool That Works
Business Management
Business Plans, Exit Strategies Explored at Builder Symposium
For a Better Bottom Line: Read ‘BoB’
Remodelers
To Merge or Not to Merge: The Parable of the Carpenter
Design
Enter the BALA Competition, Registration Deadline Is July 15
Education
Want to Know More About Designations? Ask an Expert
Education Calendar
Green Building
Building Museum Exhibits Sustainable Modular House
Voluntary Guidelines Promote Water Conservation
California Green Builder Program Meets State Goals
Building Quality
Job Readiness and Cycle Time Key to Profits
Application Deadline Nears for EnergyValue Housing Awards
Regulation
Cluster Boxes Replacing Door-to-Door Mail Delivery
Construction Safety
Workers Can Avoid Back Injuries by Lifting Safely
Katrina Recovery
Public Housing Rebuilding Accelerated in New Orleans
Almost 1.2 Million Homes Damaged in 2005 Hurricanes
Labor
HBI Leads Efforts to Promote Careers in Home Building
Building Products
Software Services Include Coordinating Supplier Rebates
TV
NAHB-Produced Programs on HGTV & DIY This Week
Endowment
HELP to Target College Grads for Residential Construction
Association News
Avoid Credit Card Processing Rate Increases With Solveras
GM $500 Exclusive Offer for NAHB Members
BuilderBooks.com Offers Free Shipping on Books This Month
Find Key Employees Through NAHB Online Career Center
Calendar of Events
NAHB Career Center

Related Articles

Pressure Grows to Rein in Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac

U.S.-Canada Accord Would Put Lumber on Shaky Ground

$19.8 Billion Added for Hurricane Recovery

Housing Priorities Discussed With Howard Dean

House Bill Appropriates $35.3 Billion for HUD

By an overwhelming 406-22 margin, the House on June 14 approved H.R. 5576, the fiscal 2007 Transportation, Treasury and HUD Appropriations bill.

The bill would appropriate $35.3 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and fund the following housing programs as follows:

  • Section 8 tenant-based vouchers — $15.8 billion. An amendment supported by NAHB and offered by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) that added an additional $100 million to the program was approved on the House floor.

  • Section 8 project-based vouchers — $5.5 billion.

  • Community Development Block Grants  $4.2 billion, including $3.9 billion for CDBG formula grants. The grants provide affordable housing and supportive services to families with low to moderate incomes.

  • Hope VI program $30 million. The House Appropriations Committee had originally voted not to fund the program. However, an NAHB-supported amendment to restore $30 million to the program that was offered by Reps. Artur Davis (D-Ala.) and Katherine Harris (R-Fla.) was approved on the House floor.

  • HOME Investment Partnerships Program  Provides $1.9 billion. HOME is the largest federal block grant program dedicated to creating affordable housing for low-income families.

  • The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) program — $5 million. PATH is a voluntary public-private partnership between industry and government that is dedicated to accelerating the development and use of technologies that radically improve the quality, durability, energy efficiency, environmental performance and affordability of America's housing.

  • FHA Multifamily Loan Commitment Authority — $35 billion.

  • FHA Overall Commitment Authority — $185 billion.

  • YouthBuild  The program would receive no funding and be transferred from HUD to the Department of Labor.

  • Brownfields and Economic Development Initiative  $15 million. The House Appropriations Committee had originally voted not to fund the program. An amendment offered on the House floor by Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.) and supported by NAHB restored $15 million to the program.

  • Rural Housing and Economic Development program  No funding.

  • Section 108 Loan Guarantee program  No funding.

Projects funded through Rural Housing and Economic Development and Section 108 would be eligible to receive funding under a new, consolidated grant program set-aside within CDBG.

The Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to release a draft version of its fiscal 2007 appropriations legislation later this month or in early July.

To view the House bill, click here and type H.R. 5576 in the box in the center screen.

For more information, e-mail Jenna Morgan Hamilton at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8407.


 

Sponsored by
Freddie Mac

 
 
> The GSEs and Housing Affordability: A Necessary But Not Sufficient Condition
> Freddie Mac Keeps America's Eggonomy Stable. Enroll In Eggonomics 101
 
 

Sponsored by
McGraw Hill
Construction

 
 
> Get Green Home Building Intelligence Today!
> NAHB/McGraw-Hill Construction’s Green Building SmartMarket Report Available Now!
 
 

Sponsored by
NAHB

 
 
> Custom Builder Symposium - Oct. 27-29
> Building Systems Councils SHOWCASE - Nov. 5-8
> State & Local Government Affairs Conference - Nov. 9-11