Home builders call on Congress to help ease affordability crisis
Home builders across the state are calling on congress to help bring down the cost of materials which is driving prices to unattainable levels.
More than 600 builders marched to capitol hill this month delivering a letter to lawmakers with 10,000 signatures. They believe a lack of action will soon take us into a recession.
These builders want lawmakers to support policies that they say will help ease building material and increase the number of affordable homes.
Howard, with NAHB says, “when the builders have to pay more that means ultimately the buyers going to have to pay more. The builders can eat the costs for so long and then they have to pass it on to the consumers.”
Jerry Howard, with the National Association of Home Builder, says builders are dealing with supply chain disruptions. Another issue is worker shortages. They need 450,000 more and inflation. He says material costs are up 47% since spring of 2020.
Amanda Richardson, a Tennessee native is struggling to buy a home with her husband.
“I think that people are voicing their opinions and they’re saying we need help. But I don’t think anyone's really listening.” They're hoping for some kind of change. Richardson says, “I’ve never been able to break through, finding a job that would pay me enough in order to get me to live financially with just me and my husband.”
And they're not alone. Jerry Howard says the future of the economy is hanging in the balance.
Howard says, “that’s a crisis situation that we think needs to be addressed or we believe it’s going lead us into a recession.” Howard says builders, including 30 from Tennessee had over 200 individual meetings with their representatives and senators, and will meet again face to face with lawmakers during summer recess.
