EVENTS: Those arriving early for committee meetings or pre-show educational programs can gather on Feb. 5 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. for a reception sponsored by Whilrpool, at the Peabody Orlando (Bayhill I-III), where you can thank the outgoing officers, greet the new ones, and maybe win a mixer!  For brand new members, there will be a New Member Orientation luncheon on Feb. 8 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Later that day, there will be our 2nd annual Developers Reception form 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. It’s too late to register online for those two member-only events, but Multifamily members can stop by the Multifamily headquarters lounge—Room 104B, Level 1—pick up an invitation.

MEETINGS: The Multifamily Board of Trustees will meet with the Housing Credit Group for an Issues and Strategies session at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 5 (West 222A). The Board will also meet the following day from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. for an Open Forum (West 222H). Also on Feb. 6, The RAM Board of Governors will meet from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. (West 230C), and the RAM Property Management meeting will take place in the same  room from 11:00 to noon. Later that day, Executive Officers and other interested members can come to West 224H for an Issues Roundtable, focused on the ways NAHB Multifamily and its local councils can work together to serve the local members.

Then, of course, there are the educational sessions:
 
Affordable Multifamily Rental Strategies for Workforce Housing
      Feb. 7 – 3:00-3:30 p.m. (South 320 E-H)
 Urban America; The Place to be Seen
      Feb. 7 – 3:30-5:00 p.m. (West 311 E-H)
 Multifamily Development 101: What You Need to Know Before You Start
      Feb. 8 – 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (West 308)
 Multifamily Economic Forecast & State of the Industry
      Feb. 8, 1:30-3:00 p.m. (West 314)
 Finding the Sales and Marketing Edge
      Feb. 9, 9:00-10:00 a.m. (South 330 E-H)
 Latest & Greatest Multifamily Designs!
      Feb. 9, 11:00 a.m.–12:30p.m. (South 330 A-D)
Why are Builders and Architects Still Getting Sued over Fair Housing Accessibility?
     Feb. 9, 11:00 a.m.–12:30p.m  (West 314)
Design & Construction Requirements of the Fair Housing Act: A Technical Overview
     Feb, 9, 1:30-3:00 p.m.   (West 314)
Condo Financing Strategies
     Feb. 9, 4:00-5:00      (South 320 A-D)
New Financing Tools for Developers
     Feb. 9, 4:00-5:00      (West 315)
Overcoming Challenges of NIMBYism
     Feb. 9, 4:00-5:00     (South 330 A-D)

 And for builders with a taste for foreign adventure, stop by the International events – shown at this link.

• Coming Soon: Mandate to Translate

In about two weeks, HUD plans to require any building owners who receive any federal assistance (including Section 8) to accommodate persons with limited English proficiently (LEP) by providing translations of vital documents and oral interpeters as needed. NAHB responded with comments to HUD when this policy was first proposed, raising the issues of consistency in documentation and the difficulty involved with ensuring that translators are interpreting conversations accurately. HUD did not address these concerns.

That's why NAHB is asking its members to write to the HUD Secretary and to their elected representatives in Congress and the Senate to request that the final LEP guidance not be issued until these major concerns are addressed. Sample letters to HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson and to Congressional representatives are attached, as is a more detailed description of the situation. For more information, contact Peggy Cullom.

• GAO Says HUD’s Doing a Better Job

The Government Accountability Office has dropped some HUD programs from its “high risk” list of programs that it deems vulnerable to fraud, abuse, waste, and mismanagement. According to the GAO, HUD’s rental housing assistance program and its single-family mortgage insurance program “have improved [their] processes for overseeing lenders, appraisers, and property management contractors; estimating the program’s credit subsidy costs; and assessing the default risk of borrowers. Also, the amount of estimated improper rent subsidies was reduced by 58 percent between 2000 and 2005, exceeding the goals set in the President's Management Agenda.” View the GAO press release for more details.

The court decided Jan. 30 that home builders and developers do not need a federal Clean Water Act permit to operate construction equipment in wetlands unless they are actually dredging or filling them in. Simply clearing brush or extra vegetation—or even turning on the backhoe—should not require a permit, builders argued. The court agreed. For more information, see NAHB's press release. [return to top]

• A Chance to Work for the Public Good

A new process for appointing Federal Home Loan Bank public interest directors is now in effect and may be of interest to certain NAHB members. Those wanting to apply for the position at any of the 12 Federal Home Loan Banks can go online to view the new rule that was just approved by the Federal Housing Finance Board (FHFB) on Jan. 18. That rule makes each FHL Bank board responsible for conducting a preliminary assessment of candidates in its district and forwarding the most qualified candidates to the FHFB for its consideration. Applicants are required to complete and submit new eligibility forms (available on the www.fhfb.gov Web site), but the rule also allows them to attach a resume providing additional information on business, professional or educational achievements that may not be solicited by the form.

Those who are interested in becoming a candidate for one of the 57 seats that are currently vacant on the 12 boards should submit their forms and resumes to the appropriate district board as soon as possible, as the bank boards must submit their list of candidates to the FHFB by March 31. As part of this process, the boards are allowed to include twice as many candidates as there are directorships to fill. As an interested party and respected institution within the housing industry, NAHB is enabled to make recommendations to the boards of the Federal Home Loan Banks on behalf of our well-qualified members. Read more in NBN Online, or contact Donna Ely.

• Good News from the Secretary of the Treasury

During a meeting with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, NAHB President David Pressly, President-Elect Brian Catalde, and CEO Jerry Howard, the NAHB delegation asked whether the Bush administration planned any “significant” tax reform efforts this year. The answer was an unqualified “No.” Thus, it seems likely that the tax simplification recommendations of the presidential tax panel last year will not be pursued any time soon. This is welcome news to NAHB, since the association had worked hard to keep the recommendations from moving forward. Some of them would have had a serious impact on housing incentives in the federal tax code, including the mortgage interest deduction.

• Best of 50+ Housing Awards Deadline — Feb. 23

Housing professionals working in the 50+ housing market are encouraged to enter the 2007 Best of 50+ Housing Awards, sponsored by NAHB’s 50+ Housing Council. The awards showcase the industry’s best community designs, model merchandising, and advertising and marketing efforts in that market. Award entrants have until February 23 to submit their entries.

The 2007 program includes more than 50 categories covering all aspects of the 50+ housing market. Active adult categories include overall community, clubhouse design, condominium unit design, and model home merchandising. Other design categories include aging-in-place, assisted living, congregate-living community, continuing care retirement communities, mixed-use, multifamily housing, renovated housing and special-needs housing.

For more information, view this page on NAHB’s Web site.

• 2007 Pillars of the Industry Conference and Gala — April 11-14

The upcoming Pillars of the Industry Conference and Awards Gala will be held at the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa, in Hollywood, Fla., April 11-13. The venue has a lovely beachfront location, featuring a variety of water sports and sport fishing opportunities, as well as a full spa facility for off-hours relaxation. Of course, as always, the educational programs will feature a top-flight roster of speakers drawn from upper-tier industry leaders. For more information or to register online, view this page.

Please be sure to enroll in the NAHB-sponsored UPS discount program prior to the show.  If you already have a UPS shipper number, simply include it on the enrollment form.  If you don’t have one, UPS will assign one to you when you enroll in this program. Visit  www.savewithups.com/nahb to sign up today! [return to top]