Members of the home building industry are using their unique skills and expertise to help local communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the second in series of posts showcasing those efforts and sharing positive news during this challenging time.

3-D Masks for First Responders

Mostad Construction prints 3-D masks for first responders.

Montana Building Industry Association member Missoula’s Mostad Construction Inc. helped first responders in their area by making and delivering 30, 3-D masks to the Missoula County Sherriff’s Department. Fifty more masks are expected to be delivered soon to other area first responders in need. “As construction workers in Montana, we’re considered essential, and this is a way for us to give back to the community that is supporting us,” the company’s Loren Mostad said.

Mostad Construction purchased the 3-D printers in order to make the masks after being inspired by another Montana company that had done the same.

Portable Buildings for the Homeless

Portable buildings from Davie Shoring move into place at the New Orleans Mission.

Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans member Warren Davie of Davie Shoring Inc. donated five portable buildings to local nonprofit the New Orleans Mission for use by the city’s homeless population. The 768-square-foot buildings were previously used as classrooms following Hurricane Katrina and were slated for demolition before Davie, a volunteer at the mission, acquired, salvaged, and relocated them for the donation.

The buildings will be outfitted with bathrooms and other services for immediate use, and can be used as quarantine spaces as the number of COVID-19 patients from the homeless population grows. Davie and the HBA reached out to local electricians and plumbers for help on the project.

Equipment for Medical Professionals

McKinley Homes LLC of Peachtree Corners, Ga., donated 5,000 surgical masks to Northside Hospital Gwinnett, and 5,000 surgical masks and 500 N95 masks to Emory University Hospital. “Our hope is this donation of medical grade and N95 face masks helps to protect our front-line medical professionals who are working tirelessly to ensure the safety of metro Atlantans. This is our way of giving back to the community that supports our livelihood,” McKinley Homes President Jinsong Yang said.

More than a dozen members of the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Central Connecticut donated 60 rolls of Tyvek house wrap, enough to make 146 cases or 1,300 individual protective gowns, to area insulation manufacturer Thermaxx LLC. The gowns were donated to 47 area hospitals, firefighters and ambulance squads.

Thermaxx converted its production facility in West Haven, Conn., to make disposable gowns for healthcare professionals and first responders. The company also provides a “do it yourself” gown how-to guide to allow individuals, families and other manufacturing facilities to help in the fight.

Medical professionals receive the donated intubation boxes.

Council members of the Home Builders & Remodelers Metro East Association in Maryville, Ill., built and donated more than a dozen intubation boxes to area hospitals in and around Belleville. Lumber was donated from members Liese Lumber and R.P. Lumber and production was done by Bobby Robinson & Ken Heidbreder, of Fulford Home Remodeling.

Honoring Our Healthcare Heroes

Charlotte-DeSoto Building Industry Association member Sand Star Remodeling & Interior Design is holding a special contest to honor an area healthcare worker. One “Healthcare Hero” dedicated to the COVID-19 fight in Charlotte County, Fla., will receive a bathroom renovation worth up to $10,000. The contest to nominate a worker is open through May 4.

Share Your Stories

These are just a few examples of the countless ways our members and HBAs are serving their communities. We’d like to continue highlighting these efforts around the country. If you or your HBA has been helping your community, please email your story to us at communications@nahb.org.

NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz provides the latest weekly analysis on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic:

Due to government-imposed shutdowns connected to COVID-19 mitigation, new jobless claims continued at a high, although slightly diminished pace this week with 4.4 million more unemployed. Over the past five weeks, the total number of jobless claims has reached 26 million, implying an unemployment rate of at least 11%. Next week should see a smaller new claims number, but the overall impact on the labor market is massive and will be reflected in a surge for the April unemployment rate, which will be reported on May 8.

New single-family home sales in March declined, but performed better than expected. Contracts for new sales fell 15.4% from the February pace to a 627,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate. Despite the weakness in March, strength in January and February left the first quarter total of new home sales 6.7% higher than the total for the first quarter of 2019. Data also suggested that sales for smaller builders held up better in March, as they have a greater market share in more decentralized exurban and rural markets. Overall months’ supply of inventory increased to 6.4.

The same pattern was seen for resale housing activity. After reaching a 13-year high in February, existing home sales declined 8.5% in March, the largest monthly decline in more than four years. Inventory remains limited in the resale market, with a months’ supply measure of just 3.4.

In addition to declines in sales volume, the housing market continues to adjust to new market conditions. For example, NAHB survey data collected in early April indicates that 24% of builders operate in markets where virtual inspections may occur. A full 20 percentage points of that share are markets where this is new policy in response to the virus crisis. Thirty-two percent of builders operate in markets where third-party inspections may occur, but for two-thirds of that total this rule was allowed before the current crisis.

NAHB survey data also indicates the impact the virus is having on the remodeling sector. Ninety-six percent of remodelers report declines in customer inquiries. And consistent with single-family and multifamily construction, 59% of remodelers report at least some issues with building material access.

Next week’s data will feature the initial estimate for first quarter GDP growth. With the current recession having begun in March, the data are expected to show negative growth for the quarter, the first decline since the first quarter of 2014. Additional data will explore the current rate of homeownership.

Finally, the debate concerning the impacts of recent fiscal and monetary policy actions is underway. For example, generous unemployment benefits may result in a slowing of some small business re-opening, such as restaurants, due to the difference between offered wages and existing benefits. Additionally, an editorial in the Wall Street Journal on April 23 suggested that recent monetary policy moves would result in inflation. While this is possible in the long-run, in the short-run the economy faces greater risks for deflation, which is a more painful phenomenon for holders of business and household debt. Inflationary pressures should be relieved as the economy reopens.

A message from NAHB Chairman Dean Mon to fellow members:

I am excited to announce that Dr. Ben Carson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, will participate in a webinar with NAHB members on Tuesday, April 28, at 11 a.m. ET.

Federal Housing Commissioner Brian Montgomery will join Secretary Carson to address HUD and FHA initiatives in response to the economic crisis caused by the novel coronavirus.

Single-family and multifamily builders, remodelers and related companies are looking to HUD to ensure that critical housing and mortgage insurance programs are operating effectively during this challenging time. This webinar will give NAHB members an opportunity to hear about HUD’s actions and plans from the nation’s top housing policy officials.

Secretary Carson will talk about HUD’s efforts to address the needs of housing market stakeholders — builders, developers, remodelers, homeowners, renters, and home buyers.

Commissioner Montgomery will provide details and answer questions about HUD and FHA operations and policies developed or expanded in response to the current economic environment.

The two housing policy officials will address single-family and multifamily mortgage forbearance, rental assistance, and policies designed to support the housing market. They will discuss initiatives at FHA and Ginnie Mae, as well as grant programs, public housing and HUD’s broad range of efforts to strengthen the housing industry.

The webinar with Secretary Carson and Commissioner Montgomery will take place at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday, April 28. Click here to register (member log-in required) for this exceptional webinar.

Special thanks to NAHB CEO Jerry Howard for arranging this special event.

I encourage all NAHB members to take advantage of the extraordinary opportunity to connect with the leadership at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.