Housing Issues Discussed by America’s Governors
The state of the nation’s housing market took center stage at a recent policy discussion in Aspen, Colorado, with six of the nation’s governors. NAHB President David Pressly, along with Larry Gotlieb (vice president of government and public affairs and associate general counsel) of KB Home represented the interests of the association membership before governors from New Mexico, Virginia, Montana, Wisconsin, Kansas and West Virginia.

The policy discussion, a component of a weekend event held by the Democratic Governors Association (DGA), was entitled “Housing & Homeownership,” and also featured speakers from the Mortgage Bankers Association, the International Council of Shopping Centers, and the National Association of Industrial & Office Properties. 

While the conversation was planned to span the topic of housing in a very general sense, the discussion quickly focused on the specifics of home building, workforce housing, and the economy.

The chairman of the DGA, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, opened the dialogue by asking Pressly to remark on the state of the housing market. Pressly used his time by tempering the tone of some economic prognosticators that warn of a housing bubble. He did so by supplying the governors with housing data from each of their respective states that exhibit the economic fundamentals of an orderly, expected cool down. 

Pressly also used this stage to urge governors for reform in the areas of environmental preservation and infrastructure financing so that workforce housing could become a more realistic possibility for citizens of their state.

KB Home Vice President Larry Gotlieb also engaged in the intimate conversation noting that unreasonable costs supplemented to home builders for the building or improvement of infrastructure are some of the most regressive tax policies being utilized by governments of all levels today.
 
The housing session lasted slightly over an hour and was complimented with other social events where the two were able to discuss housing issues at greater length with each governor present.

The NAHB is a member of both the Democratic and Republican Governors Association. The two groups periodically host policy discussions that allow for an effective forum to present policy alternatives to issues affecting state leaders nationwide.

Governors in Attendance:

• Governor Bill Richardson (New Mexico)
• Governor Kathleen Sebelius (Kansas)
• Governor Tim Kaine (Virginia)
• Governor Brian Schweitzer (Montana)
• Governor Joe Manchin III (West Virginia)
• Governor Jim Doyle (Wisconsin)

For more information on this article, e-mail Brooke Ransom, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8584. [ return to top ]