Sept ember 2018 LEADERSHIP Opioid Deat h s Plagu e Con st r u ct ion In du st r y Massachusetts construction industry workers are six times more likely to die of an opioid over dose than the average worker, according to a recent report from the state?s Department of Public Health. The report summarized the findings of a study funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers examined the death certificates of everyone in the state who died of an opioid overdose from 2011 to 2015 with an occupation listed on the certificate.?construction and extraction? workers had an opioid overdose death rate of 150.6 deaths per 100,000 workers over the study period, with 1,096 deaths recorded, accounting for almost a quarter of all opioid-related deaths among the working population. The report also highlighted specific jobs within the construction industry listed on death certificates. The highest rates of overdose deaths among construction workers were: Construction laborers (374 deaths representing 34.2% of overdose deaths among construction workers) and carpenters (201 deaths representing 18.4%). Will Her r in g President Lan e Bak er Vice President Ch r is Klick Secretary/ Treasurer Jam ey Nelson Associates VP Tor i St ein Past President Boar d M em ber s Sh aw n Doogan Ben Copen h aver Adam Copen h aver Bet h Abeyt a War d M u n go Ted Ter r y Br et t M iller Tr icia Hagger t y M ick Jew ell Scot t Em br y Robby Ar n old M at t Tim m on s For a full list of Life Members and Committee Chairs, visit our website. h bach ar lest on.com 843-572-1414
NAHB Back s Kavan au gh f or Su pr em e Cou r t NAHB supports Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court because of his ext en sive r ecor d as a highly qualified, principled, and fair jurist who deserves confirmation to the nation's highest court. In his 12 years on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Kavanaugh has been involved in eight cases in which NAHB was a petitioner. NAHB members need only look at Kavanaugh's judicial decisions to see that he has a strong record of curbing regulatory overreach. Visit NAHB.org to sen d a m essage through BuilderLink to your senators encouraging them Ru lin g M u ddies t h e WOTUS Wat er s A recent ruling by the U.S. District Court for South Carolina means that for now, half of U.S. states will have one set of rules pertaining to waters of the U.S. while the rest have different rules. The decision leaves the r egu lat ed com m u n it y in disar r ay. In 24 states, the 1986 definition of waters of the United States is applicable. In the remaining 26 states, the 2015 WOTUS rule defines the term?waters of the United States.? EPA is trying to finalize a 2017 rulemaking that would help resolve the issue.
HUD t o Am en d Fair Hou sin g Ru le HUD is inviting public comment on amendments to its Af f ir m at ively Fu r t h er in g Fair Hou sin g (AFFH) regulations. NAHB Of f er s Ideas on EPA Regu lat or y Pr ocess EPA has requested public comments on how it can be m or e t r an spar en t regarding the scientific data it relies upon to establish new federal environmental regulations. The Agency also aims to be more consistent when evaluating the costs and benefits of proposed rules. In its comments, NAHB asked EPA to extend the scientific data transparency proposal to proposed rules as well as Agency guidance documents. NAHB also urged EPA to develop a consistent methodology for conducting cost-benefit analyses during the federal rulemaking process. Tow n h ou se Con st r u ct ion Sees Big Gain s Townhouse construction posted significant gains during the second quarter of 2018, according to NAHB analysis of the most recent Census report on Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design. Tow n h ou se con st r u ct ion is set for further expansion given the demographics of renters entering the for-sale market, as well as ongoing land constraints and growth of demand for walkable neighborhoods. Using a one-year moving average, the market share of new townhouses stands at 13.1% of all single-family starts, a post-recession high. Under the AFFH rule, as a condition of receiving certain HUD funds, state and local governments must identify barriers to fair housing choice and ensure that practices and policies do not promote racial segregation. HUD found that the AFFH rule proved ineffective and highly prescriptive, and discouraged production of affordable housing. Tr easu r y Issu es Dr af t Ru le f or 'Pass Th r ou gh s' The Treasury Department in August released draft regulations for the new 20% pass t h r ou gh en t it y deduction under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The regulations will affect individuals, partnerships, S corporations, trusts, and estates. NAHB is in the process of reviewing the proposals to determine how they will affect its members.
IBS Regist r at ion is HERE 2019 Com m it t ee Regist r at ion DEADLINE 9-23-18 All NAHB members are asked to indicate their interest in serving on the various committees and councils. The association relies on the leadership of members to provide expertise and experience on the issues and challenges facing our industry. This is the first step in national leadership opportunities! Associat es Aw ar ds DEADLINE 9-30-18 The Associate of the Year Award honors one associate member who has made outstanding contributions to their local, state and national HBAs and to the home building industry in the past year. The Bill Polley Advocate of BUILD-PAC Award recognizes an associate member who has made diligent efforts on behalf of BUILD-PAC. The Builders Engaging Associate Members (BEAM) pays tribute to builders who make an outstanding effort to do business with Associate members. The One to Watch Award is given to an outstanding Associate Young Professional in the industry. IBS Reg Deals in Sept em ber / YP Even t s & M t gs DISCOUNT ENDS 9-30-18 Attending the 2019 IBS? Are you a new NAHB Member or planning on being a first time attendee? Then you definitely need to see this page. CHBA En dor ses t h e Hom e Bu ilder In st it u t e - St ay Tu n ed f or M or e In f o
OSHA Releases FAQ f or Silica St an dar d as it Applies t o Con st r u ct ion The Occupational Safety and Health Administration in August released a set of 53 f r equ en t ly ask ed qu est ion s? and their answers? to provide guidance to employers and employees on its respirable crystalline silica standard for construction. improve the workability of this significant rule. Through the Construction Industry Safety Coalition, NAHB was an important contributor to the formulation of this FAQ. The development stemmed from litigation filed against OSHA by numerous construction industry trade associations challenging the legality of the new silica rule. Importantly, the FAQ clarifies that many common construction tasks are likely to be outside the scope of the standard. This includes mixing small amounts of mortar; mixing small amounts of concrete; mixing bagged, silica-free drywall compound; mixing bagged exterior insulation finishing system base and finish coat; and removing concrete formwork. NAHB will continue to work with OSHA to The extensive FAQ is organized by topic with a short introductory paragraph for each group of questions. The answers appear in an expanded box when each question is clicked.
Hu r r ican e Flor en ce Disast er Relief We are fortunate to have a charitable foundation with a history of supporting disaster victims in our state The Building Industry Charitable Foundation, Inc. affiliated with the Building Industry Association of Central South Carolina, is a South Carolina nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization organized and administered by BIA members. If you would like to support our members and communities in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence please consider making a donation to the Charitable Foundation. All monies donated will be used solely for the victims of this storm. Donations can be made to the Building Industry Charitable Foundation, 625 Taylor Street, Columbia, SC 29201 or call (803) 256-6238. Older t h an t h e Reagan Adm in ist r at ion FHFA En ds Sin gle Fam ily Ren t al Pilot Census data reveal the median age of owner-occupied housing has increased to 37 years old, meaning half of all homes in the U.S. were built prior to 1980? before Ronald Reagan took office, before Michael Jackson first performed?thriller? and long before M* A* S* H aired its last episode. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has announced that it is directing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) to conclude their single-family r en t al m ar k et pilot programs except through their previously existing investor programs. The age of t h e h ou sin g st ock is an important remodeling indicator. Em ployer s M u stmarket Use New I-9 Older houses are less energy-efficient than Forconstruction m new and ultimately will require remodeling and renovation in the future. As NAHB economist Na Zhao wrote in a recent post for Eye On Housing, the aging housing stock is largely due to the cyclical effect of residential construction?s modest pace combined with ever-rising home prices. Those factors are compelling many home owners to simply stay put and consider updating their current home. FHFA determined the Enterprises?singlefamily investment home rental programs have played an important role for small investors, but the market for larger investors has performed well without Enterprise participation. NAHB had urged caution about the Enterprises expanding into this market, noting concerns about the potential effects on single-family sales and the diversion of resources from multifamily housing. This decision does not preclude the Enterprises from proposing changes to their existing single-family programs to meet the needs of the single-family rental market.
For ecast : Gr ow t h M ay Begin t o Slow Cal endar of Event s The nation?s economy is enjoying one of the longest stretches of continued GDP growth in history, but the level of economic acceleration might soon begin to ease. In a midyear economic forecast, NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz was quick to point out that aside from the declining affordability of housing,?overall economic conditions remain solid.? He noted that while certain seemingly negative dynamics of the economy will actually prove to be good news for housing demand, several challenges will persist.?we?re in an aging growth cycle and some imbalances are beginning to build up in the macroeconomy, [so] we have to be aware of those risks going forward,? Dietz said. Dietz?s full presentation, as * * if you h ave an y qu est ion s or n eed an ext en sion con t act Ash ley at ash ley@ch ar lest on h om ebu ilder s.or g BUILDER/ INSPECTOR & GOV AFFAIRS N. Ch s Cit y Hall 8:30 a.m., Sept 19 well as several more from other NAHB economists, can be viewed for free at n ah b.or g/ f or ecast s. The presentations provide insights on many key areas of the housing sector? some that are likely to experience sustained growth, and others showing signs of a slowdown. The additional presentations include: Lumber and Tariffs; Multifamily Cost of Regulation; Macro and Regional Condi- tions; and Living Arrangements of Young Adults. SM C NEW HOM E BUS TOUR Gr ayhaw k Hom es 9:00 a.m., Sept 25 PRODUCT SHOWCASE Rick Hen dr ick Ch evr olet 6:00 p.m., Sept 27 BOARD M EETING Ch an n el 2 3 p.m., Oct 16 BUILDER/ INSPECTOR & GOV AFFAIRS N. Ch s Cit y Hall 8:30 a.m., Oct 17 OYSTER ROAST Oyst er Poin t 4:00 p.m., Oct 23 PRISM Gaillar d Cen t er 6:00 p.m., Nov 2 *** Check out our calendar on the CHBA website or Facebook page for up-to-date events.