April 2026 NAHB News....1-4 NCHBA News....5 HBAGC News....6-24
Single-Family Starts Remain Soft in January
Elevated construction costs and constrained affordability conditions led to a reduction in single-family housing starts in January. However, led by solid multifamily production, overall housing starts increased 7.2% in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.49 million units, according to a report from HUD and the Census Bureau. The January reading of 1.49 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 2.8% to a 935,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate. The multifamily sector, which includes apartment buildings and condos, increased 30% to an annualized 552,000 pace. On a regional basis compared to the previous month, combined single-family and multifamily starts were 47.4% higher in the Northeast, 10.8% lower in the Midwest, 11.4% higher in the South and 7.5% lower in the West. Overall permits decreased 5.4% to a 1.38 million unit annualized rate in January. Single-family permits decreased 0.9% to an 873,000-unit rate, which is the weakest reading since August of last year. Multifamily permits decreased 12% to an annualized 503,000 pace. Looking at regional permit data compared to the previous month, permits were 9.6% lower in the Northeast, 9% higher in the Midwest, 3.5% lower in the South and 15.7% lower in the West. The number of single-family homes under construction fell back to 582,000 in January, down 8.8% year over year as the single-family home building market has slowed.
Concerning Ruling on Cluster Mailboxes The U.S. Supreme Court recently issued a decision that illustrates the potential risks associated with the Postal Service’s push for centralized mail delivery. The ruling has implications for home builders and developers who are increasingly pressured to install cluster mailboxes in new residential communities. NAHB has long opposed efforts by the USPS to mandate cluster mailbox delivery as the “preferred” method in new residential developments.
NLRB Restores 2020 Joint Employer Standard The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently issued a final revision of regulations governing the standard for determining joint employer status under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). A company with joint employer status under the NLRA must comply with the NLRA with respect to collective bargaining by another company’s employees. The revision reinstates the NAHB- supported 2020 regulation, which established a test for joint employ- employer status that conformed with decades of NLRA case law. It rescinds a 2023 regulation that established a broad new test that lowered the standard for joint employer status under the NLRA. Watch Video Highlights from Leadership Meetings NAHB members who were unable to attend the leadership meetings during the recent Builders’ Show in Orlando can watch selected meeting elements on nahb.org. Highlights include: NAHB Chief Economist Dr. Robert Dietz’ economic outlook, an update from NAHB’s advocacy team on key legislative initiatives and a look at CEO Jim Tobin’s goals for the Federation.
Big Win for NAHB on HUD IECC Mandate A recent court decision in a case brought by NAHB and 15 states challenging federal energy code mandates is a major win for our members, housing affordability and common-sense regulations. The ruling from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas prevents HUD and the USDA from imposing the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and the 2019 ASHRAE 90.1 standard on certain single-family and multifamily housing programs. Notably, the requirement would have applied to FHA mortgages.
Trump EOs Address Housing Affordability President Trump on March 13 issued two executive orders on housing. One calls for EPA, HUD and other federal agencies to streamline permitting require- ments and to eliminate unduly burdensome rules that constrain residential development. The other executive order, which seeks to expand credit access to home buyers and home builders, directs federal banking regulators to revise supervisory guidance to support responsible construction lending by community banks. It also calls for a modernization of appraisal regulations.
How Old Is Today's Owner-Occupied Housing?
Indiana Builders Get Big Win During the most recent Indiana legislative session, the Indiana BA (IBA) played a pivotal role in passing legislation to lower housing costs. Governor Mike Braun signed the House Enrolled Act 1001 into law, a comprehensive bill to expand Indiana’s housing supply and drive down the costs of homeownership by rolling back costly regulatory barriers to housing development. The bill aims to limit impact fees, stream- line approvals for single-family homes, duplexes and ADUs, and cap building permit fee increases. HB 1001 also phases in new reporting requirements for local governments to track housing approvals and denials.
From 2020 to 2024, new construction added nearly 3.6 million owner-occupied homes, accounting for only 4% of total owner-occupied housing stock as of 2024. Relatively newer homes built between 2010 and 2019 made up around 9% of the stock, while 15% were constructed between 2000 and 2009. Roughly 47% of owner- occupied homes were built before 1980, including 34% built before 1970. The median age of owner-occupied homes climbed to 42 years old in 2024, up from 31 in 2005 according to the latest data from the American Community Survey.
NAHB Roofing Safety Resources Roofing is an inherently dangerous job, with workers exposed to the elements at height on a pitched surface. It’s up to home building and remodeling business owners to equip workers with the necessary resources and to instill a culture of safety in roof work. Falls are the most obvious danger in roofing, with the angle of the roof causing the most concern and the height of the fall doing the most damage. But there are other roofing- related safety concerns. Using power tools on an uneven surface, contacting power- lines, and exposure to extreme temperatures and severe weather can also cause injury. NAHB has produced a roofing safety video and an accompanying handout as part of its toolbox talks series.
Builders Identify Forces Shaping Housing Demand
Results from special questions included in the recent NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) reveal that home builders expect a mix of demographic, economic and technological forces to significantly influence the long-term health of the home building industry and housing demand over the next decade. Builders were asked to assess the long-term impact of 14 major trends and forces. The three leading factors expected to have a strong- or somewhat-negative impact on housing demand and industry conditions over the next 10 years were government debt levels (82%), declining fertility rate (78%) and the long-term inflation outlook (70%). Builders were also asked to identify forces they expect to have a positive impact on the health of the home building industry and housing demand. The leading positive factors were aging housing stock (73%), work-from- home trends (65%) and artificial intelligence (52%). Long-term demographic trends and fiscal pressures are viewed as headwinds, but builders also see meaningful opportunities tied to an aging housing stock, evolving work patterns and emerging technologies.