Take Action Now to Ensure Choices in Building Code Adoption
The U.S. House of Representatives will soon vote on , the Promoting Resilient Buildings Act. This bipartisan legislation extends a sunsetting provision in the 2018 Disaster Recovery Reform Act that gives local governments, home builders and home owners flexibility in their natural disaster mitigation plans.
NAHB is encouraging all members to and ask them to vote for the bill.
The Disaster Recovery Reform Act established the definition of “building codes” to include the latest two published editions of relevant codes when reviewing for natural disaster mitigation. But that definition sunset in October.
If the building code definition is left to expire, FEMA will revert the definition to the single latest edition of codes when reviewing state, local and tribal Hazard Mitigation Plans.
The bill would require FEMA to allow home builders and municipalities to abide by rules published in the two latest editions of building codes, rather than just the single latest edition, when developing their Hazard Mitigation Plans, inspecting homes or building a house.
The original text of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act was meant to provide flexibility to governments, developers, builders and home owners, and H.R. 5473 would re-establish that flexibility. Building codes can change dramatically from cycle-to-cycle, so having the option to use more than one can save time and money.
A vote on H.R. 5473 is scheduled for Dec. 11. and tell them to pass this important update.
Latest from NAHBNow
May 08, 2025
Multifamily Developer Confidence Falls in First QuarterConfidence in the market for new multifamily housing declined year-over-year in the first quarter, according to the Multifamily Market Survey (MMS) released today by NAHB. The MMS produces two separate indices. The Multifamily Production Index (MPI) had a reading of 44, down three points year-over-year, while the Multifamily Occupancy Index (MOI) had a reading of 82, down one point year-over-year.
May 07, 2025
Energy Star Transition and Its Effect on NAHB MembersSeveral recent media reports suggest that the Energy Star program, a proven private-public partnership administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is going through a possible transition period that could lead to its elimination.
Latest Economic News
May 06, 2025
Mortgage loan applications saw little change in April, as refinancing activity decreased. The Market Composite Index, which measures mortgage loan application volume based on the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) weekly survey, experienced a 0.4% month-over month increase on a seasonally adjusted (SA) basis. However, year-over-year, the index is up 29.3% compared to April 2024.
May 06, 2025
The median price for a new single-family home sold in the first quarter of 2025 was $416,900, a mere $14,600 above the existing home sale price of $402,300, according to U.S. Census Bureau and National Association of Realtors data (not seasonally adjusted – NSA).
May 05, 2025
Private fixed investment in student dormitories increased by 2.3% in the first quarter of 2025, reaching a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $4.04 billion. This gain followed a 1.0% increase in the previous quarter. However, private fixed investment in dorms was 2% lower than a year ago, as elevated interest rates place a damper on student housing construction.