Home Builders Association of Fargo-Moorhead members are seeing significant savings on housing starts as a result of victories through valuable advocacy-based work taking place at local, state and national levels. These victories are largely achieved through grassroots efforts.

During the first week of June HBA members and staff attended the National Association of Home Builders Spring Leadership Meeting in Washington, D.C., on behalf of the entire membership!

Members and staff met with North Dakota’s Congressional delegation and attended meetings hosted by the national association.

Updates on timely issues were shared with all three delegates and members were able to network with other Builder and Associate members from across the United States. In addition, HBA of F-M Chief Executive Officer Bryce Johnson attended meetings specific to the Executive Officers Council; she currently serves as vice president. EOC membership is comprised of the staff executives who direct more than 700 NAHB-affiliated state and local home builders' associations representing more than 140,000 home builders in communities across the United States.

Our top 3 take-aways from the trip!

Advocacy First!

If you care about what happens nationally, you must start the conversation with those who represent you at a national level.

HBA members and staff met with U.S. Senator John Hoeven, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer, and U.S. Representative Kelly Armstrong to discuss important building industry concerns.

Key topics highlighted during our visits included:

• Workforce

• National Flood Insurance Program Re-authorization

• Housing Finance Reform

• Energy Efficiency

• Affordable Housing

Association leaders are grateful for the opportunity to meet with each of our delegates. It is an opportunity that is not possible in many states due to accessibility.

Many of these opportunities were made possible thanks to North Dakota Association of Home Builders and North Dakota’s Federal Legislative Manager Julia Bogue with NAHB. Bogue is our link to all national issues and can connect you, the member, with any issues/legislative subject matter expert and share updates on happenings at Capitol Hill.

Click here to contact Julia Bogue

Not only did members visit with delegates, but they received a brief from NAHB filled with valuable information affecting our industry. These briefs included:

• Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act: This act would increase the number of low-income tax credits by 50 percent, and adjust how the credits flow into projects (S1703 and HR3077).

• Postal Service mandated mailbox clusters: In 2012 a preference was made by the U.S. Postal Service, which has now transformed into a mandate. NAHB is working to push legislation that allows the option to decide if a homeowner would prefer an individual mailbox.

Information Sharing!

Throughout the course of the week, members and staff had the opportunity to network with fellow industry professionals from across the U.S.

For HBA staff, these connections allow insight on what is working well in Associations across the country and provides new ideas to bring back to improve our services locally!

For members, the opportunities are endless: you can join and attend committee meetings on a national level where the learning never stops.

The information shared is always timely and industry specific. One resource hits home: battling the opioid crisis. NAHB and other local associations shared what they offer and what is working to combat this issue in the construction industry where addiction is most prevalent. NAHB has created an entire online resource for employers to find informational materials and helpful tips for taking care of employees with addiction problems.

Click here to explore NAHB's opioid resources

Thank you to the dedicated leadership who serve on the national Leadership Council and volunteer on these national committees:

• HBA Past President Dustin Murray, Dustin Murray Construction

• Young Professionals Committee

• HBA President John Gunkelman, Dakota Construction of Fargo, Inc.

• Custom Home Builders, Business Management and Information Technology

• HBA Director Tom Spaeth, Accent Contracting

• NAHB Remodelers Council Board of Trustees

• HBA Director Don Dabbert, Jr., Dabbert Custom Homes

• Land Development, Single Family Builders, State Representatives

• HBA Director Darrick Guthmiller, Kochmann Brothers Homes, Inc.

• Business Management and Information Technology

• HBA Director Tyrone Leslie, Heritage Homes

• Single Family Builders

PAC Parties!

It’s not all business! NAHB hosted a party for Capitol Club and Gold Key PAC contributors at The Anthem. BUILD-PAC is NAHB's bipartisan federal political action committee (PAC) that helps elect pro-housing, pro-business candidates to the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.

To learn more about getting involved in advocacy on a local, state or national level contact Chelsea Diederich.

Click here to get in touch!