Addressing a wide range of legislative and regulatory issues with serious repercussions for the nation’s supply of affordably priced housing, NAHB First Vice Chairman Bill Owens and Second Vice Chairman Bob Peterson met with congressional leaders on Capitol Hill over the past 48 hours to pursue a strong national agenda for housing.

The two NAHB Senior Officers are slated to become NAHB chairman and first vice chairman, respectively, on Feb. 18 during the NAHB Leadership Council meeting in Orlando, Fla., that is held in conjunction with the International Builders’ Show.

Discussions were held with nearly two dozen influential lawmakers in key leadership positions, including:

• Sen. Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
• Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
• Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources
• Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), Democratic Caucus Chair
• Rep. Mike Flood (R-Neb.), chairman of the Housing and Insurance Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee
• Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), House Minority Whip

Owens and Peterson reiterated the importance of housing and homeownership to the economy, and urged lawmakers to focus on regulatory and workforce development issues to help stem rising housing costs. They also stressed that a vibrant housing market is critical to maintain robust job and economic growth.

Specifically, the NAHB Senior Officers urged lawmakers to support:

• The ROAD to Housing Act (pending in the Senate) and the Housing for the 21st Century Act (pending in the House). These comprehensive housing bills provide incentives to ease state and local zoning restrictions, funds to help repair the aging housing stock, and provisions to streamline environmental reviews and improve multifamily housing programs.
• The CONSTRUCTS Act. This bipartisan Senate and House legislation would help alleviate the construction labor shortage by providing $20 million in grants to technical/community colleges for residential construction education.
• The Energy Choice Act. Pending in the House and Senate, this legislation would prohibit state and local governments from banning the use of natural gas energy in new homes.