Carl Harris, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a custom home builder from Wichita, Kansas, issued a statement following the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Harris expressed concern over the lack of discussion on housing affordability during the debate.
“The housing affordability crisis is a top national concern and Americans will take notice why the presidential candidates said very little on how to make homeownership and renting more affordable,” Harris stated. He emphasized that with a nationwide shortage of approximately 1.5 million housing units, policy changes are essential to increase the housing supply and reduce costs.
Harris called for specific actions from both the administration and Congress: “The administration and Congress must address excessive regulations, support trades education to alleviate a severe labor shortage in the construction industry that is delaying home building projects, and oppose restrictive, mandatory building codes that significantly raise housing costs and provide little energy savings to consumers.”
He highlighted NAHB's 10-point housing plan as a potential solution to America's housing affordability challenges. “These are just a few steps that policymakers must take to break the rising housing cost curve and allow builders to construct more homes and apartments,” Harris concluded.
