August 2026 In this Issue: NAHB News....1-4 NCHBA News....5-6 HBAGC News....7-21
Multifamily Gains Lift Starts Despite Single-Family Decline
Strong multifamily growth pushed overall housing starts higher in June, while single- family production remained sluggish as elevated mortgage rates, rising construction costs and persistent labor short- ages continued to weigh on the market. Overall housing starts increased 19% in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.43 million units, according to a report from HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau. The June reading of 1.43 million starts is the number of housing units builders would begin if development kept this pace for the next 12 months. Within this overall number, single-family starts decreased 0.2% to an 895,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate and are down 3.2% compared to June 2025. The multifamily sector, which includes apartment buildings and condos, increased 76.2% to an annualized 532,000 pace and are up 17.2% compared to June 2025. On a regional and year-to- date basis, combined single-family and multifamily starts were 4.5% higher in the Northeast, 1.2% higher in the Midwest, 1.7% higher in the South and 4.4% lower in the West. Overall permits decreased 3% to a 1.37-million-unit annualized rate in June. Single-family permits decreased 2.4% to an 871,000-unit rate and are down 0.2% compared to June 2025. Multifamily permits decreased 4.2% to an annualized 496,000 pace and are down 5.7% compared to June 2025. The number of single-family homes under construction is at 582,000 units, while number of apartments under construction is at 682,000 units.
U.S. Sawmill Output Shrinks The U.S. lumber industry is showing signs of tightening capacity, a trend that could have implications for home builders if future demand accelerates. According to the Federal Reserve's G.17 Industrial Production report, U.S. sawmill production declined in the first quarter of 2026, marking the second consecutive quarterly decrease. On a four-quarter moving average basis, production slipped 0.4% from the previous quarter, although it remained 1.7% above the same period last year. Sawmill output has been largely unchanged since 2023.
Apply for a Green Building Scholarship to Attend IBS The NAHB IBS Sustainability and Green Building Scholarship aims to help emerging green builders jump-start their professional journey by attending the Builders’ Show. The scholarship is available to young professionals between age of 25 and 35 to attend the 2027 IBS in Las Vegas. Scholarship recipients will receive $1,300 for travel expenses and full registration to maximize their experience. Interested applicants can apply online. Applications are due Oct. 23. Learn How to Run For Political Office Home builders often encounter local officials who are ambivalent or hostile to residential construction. To change the conversation, NAHB’s election guidebook program can help NAHB members and industry leaders who are thinking about running for office learn how to lead effective state or local campaigns. The program is a self-paced online education module to help potential candidates run strong campaigns with limited resources. Individuals will learn about the entire campaign lifecycle from assessing personal readiness and defining a clear message to building a data-driven strategy that balances time, people, and money.
Analysis of the ROAD to Housing Act The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act will help increase the nation’s housing supply by reducing regulatory barriers and encouraging local governments to reform zoning and land-use policies. NAHB worked closely with lawmakers to pass this historic housing package, which includes more than 50 sections addressing housing supply, financing, disaster recovery and other priorities. NAHB has a comprehensive summary of the act at nahb.org/ROAD that explains how the various sections will affect the housing industry.
State, Local HBAs Advance Reforms Around the country, state and local HBAs are shaping policies that make it easier to increase the supply of housing. From streamlining environ- mental reviews (New York) and permitting pro- cesses (Georgia) to preserving lot size standards (Houston), these recent advocacy victories demonstrate how members are working with lawmakers to remove barriers, reduce costs and support housing attainability in their communities.
Remodeling Market Sentiment Remains Positive in Q2
Purchases After Home Buying NAHB analysis of Consumer Expenditure Survey data from 2020 through 2023 shows that buyers of both newly built and existing single-family detached homes spend substantially more than homeowners who did not move. Buyers of newly built homes spend an average of $26,882 on appliances, furnishings, and remodeling and repairs during the first year after purchasing a home, nearly three times the $9,457 spent by non-moving homeowners. Buyers of existing homes spend roughly twice as much as non-moving homeowners. Read the Eye on Housing post to see what they are buying.
NAHB released the NAHB Remodeling Market Index (RMI) for the second quarter, posting a reading of 61. The reading inched down one point from the previous quarter, but remains in positive territory. The RMI is composed of two sections: 1) The Current Conditions Index, which is an average of the current market for large remodeling projects, moderately-sized projects and small projects; and 2) The Future Indicators Index, which is an average of the rate at which leads are coming in and the current backlog of remodel- ing projects. The RMI is calculated by averaging those two components.Any number over 50 indicates that more remodelers view remodeling market conditions as good than poor. The Current Conditions Index averaged 70 (unchanged), while the Future Indicators Index averaged 52 (down two points).
Read Building Women Magazine The latest edition of Building Women magazine showcases career paths for women in home building, including 2026 Professional Women in Building (PWB) Chair Heather Laminack. The daughter of a home builder, Laminack grew up working in the family business. Her experience evolved from filing paperwork to cleaning job sites, to accounts payable. After graduating, she stepped into a general manager role and now is involved in every facet of Ferrier Homes, based in Fort Worth, Texas. Other stories in the issue: a feature on PWB's collaboration with SkillsUSA and advice from women leaders about finances.
Enhance Your Next Land Development Project with NGBS
The newly released ICC 700-2025 National Green Building Standard (NGBS) defines the benchmark for sustainable residential construction, renovation and land development. It provides best practices for the design, planning, construction and certification of land development projects. It also evaluates community design, infrastructure and environmental preservation independent of the actual buildings constructed. The program offers four rating tiers specific to site design and land development ranging from One-Star to Four-Star based on implemented green practices. For residential and mixed-use land developments, the standard is evaluated through a comprehensive scoring and inspection protocol. To achieve certification, a land development project must implement practices in five core categories: 1. Site Design and Layout 2. Environmental Protection 3. Resource & Waste Efficiency 4. Water & Infrastructure 5. Community & Wellness