Women may still comprise a small fraction of home-building professionals, but those involved continue to blaze the trail for others at all levels of the industry. Although it may be the first all-female leadership team for a local home builders association (HBA), the HBA of Greater Des Moines’ executive board brings much more to the table than a singular gender. With a combined industry experience of more than 60 years, these leaders are working to better engage local builders, bring new perspectives to the table, and continue to draw attention and talent to the construction workforce.

“I’m so proud of the four of us, but we’ve had so many awesome leaders before us that we’ve learned from,” said Kalen Ludwig, first vice president of the HBA and director of sales and marketing for Groundbreaker Homes, at the International Builders’ Show in January.

Ludwig shared the stage with her fellow executive team members — president Rachel Flint of Hubbell Homes and second vice president Jenna Kimberley of Kimberley Development — and nine-time HBA board secretary Amy Kimberley of Ferguson Bath Kitchen & Lighting Gallery for a “Women in Leadership” discussion at the Houzz booth. The discussion was moderated by Terri Everhart, of Homesite Services Inc., the second vice chair for the NAHB Professional Women in Building (PWB) Council.

Mentorship and learning opportunities were common themes throughout the discussion, as each panelist shared her career experiences and advice. Jenna Kimberley noted that only 1.3% of the construction labor force is female, even though the industry is one of the strongest in bridging the wage gap between women and men at 95 cents on the dollar. Flint attributes part of the challenge being less frequent role models in the workforce and the criticism women face about entering what is frequently seen as a man’s field.

“Women need to be more visible,” Flint stated, so that women interested in pursuing a career in the trades have more examples of the opportunities available. Flint, Ludwig, Amy Kimberley and Jenna Kimberley are all members of NAHB’s PWB Council and were instrumental in starting a PWB Council in Des Moines in 2018 to provide greater visibility, networking and mentorship to other women in the industry in their local area.

Each panelist also shared her own unique journey to her current position to highlight the wealth of opportunities available to women in construction. Amy Kimberley, for example, gained many of her leadership skills overseeing a team of 15 electricians when she was 25, while Jenna Kimberley initially started her career in the intelligence field in Washington, D.C., which lends a different skill set to her current role and her decision-making process.

“I love this industry because it’s growing and always changing,” noted Ludwig, who began her career in real estate 15 years ago.

The HBA has been actively engaging new prospective employees through programs such as the Skilled Trades Academy, which provides $2 million for public schools to foster trades education. Only about 1 in 20 students currently involved in the program are female, but as women continue to become more prominent figures in the industry, the hope is that it encourages more women to explore careers in construction.

“We’re the first HBA run by women,” Jenna Kimberley observed, “but we’re certainly not going to be the last.”

Learn more about NAHB’s PWB Council at nahb.org/whypwb.

USDA Rural Development, a mission area within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has taken several immediate actions to help rural residents, businesses and communities affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Effective March 19, 2020, borrowers with USDA single-family housing Direct and Guaranteed loans are subject to a moratorium on foreclosure and eviction for a period of 60 days. This action applies to the initiation of foreclosures and evictions and to the completion of foreclosures and evictions in process.

Guaranteed Loan borrowers who are in default or facing imminent default due to a documented hardship can have payments reduced or suspended by their lender for a period not to exceed 12 months delinquency.

USDA has waived or relaxed certain parts of the application process for Single-Family Housing Direct Loans, including site assessments, and has extended the time period that certificates of eligibility are valid.

Tenant certifications due March 31, April 30 and May 31 for multifamily properties have been
extended to June 30 with no late fees or overage charges. This extension will allow for additional time to complete needed certifications while avoiding face-to-face meetings as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In most cases, late fees on Section 515 mortgages will be waived as well. Additionally, for Section 515 Annual Financial Statements due March 31, USDA is extending the due date by 30 days, and is exploring whether a longer extension is appropriate.

USDA encourages all owners to work with impacted residents and families to adjust rent payments, enter into forbearance agreements, and lessen the impact on affected residents. Current policy states that owners must process an interim recertification at the tenant’s request if there is a change in income of $50 or more per month. If borrowers are temporarily unable to make loan payments, the Agency may waive late fees and enter into an official workout plan.

Read the full announcement to view all actions that USDA Rural Development is implementing to provide immediate relief to its customers, partners and stakeholders.

For more information, contact Curtis Milton at 800-368-5242 x8597.

As NAHB continues to advocate for the needs of the housing industry during the coronavirus pandemic, we need to keep hearing how the crisis is impacting your business. We launched our first survey last week and will open a new survey every Tuesday to gauge the industry’s needs on a continual basis.

The week’s survey has additional questions about the impact on remodeling work and will take less than five minutes to complete.

Your feedback will help us promote policies to keep the housing sector running with as little disruption as possible during this difficult time.

Please complete this week’s brief, confidential survey today.

For the latest news and business resources, visit NAHB’s Coronavirus Preparedness and Response section on nahb.org.

Consumer trends and desires revolving around baby boomers and millennials have been popular topics in recent years, as the last of the boomers begin to enter the 55+ age bracket and millennials have all primarily entered the workforce. But a growing emphasis is being placed on the up-and-coming generation of young adults: Generation Z.

Generation Z — generally defined as those born between 1995 and 2010 — comprises 26% of the U.S. population, noted Kate Good of Hunington Properties during her session “Gen Z: End of the Alphabet & Beginning of a New Era” in the Multifamily Central at the 2020 International Builders’ Show. Described as the “selfie generation,” Gen Z came of age during the Great Recession, and as such, is very debt-averse. It is also the most diverse generation, which factors into its values of inclusiveness and authenticity.

So why should home builders and developers pay attention to this growing demographic? By 2020, Good stated, Gen Z will command nearly 40% of all consumer shopping. They also are primary drivers of their parents’ purchasing decisions: 93% of Gen Z parents say their children influence their shopping choices.

Although the youngest Gen Zers may still be in elementary school, the oldest Gen Zers are beginning to enter the workforce — and the home buying and rental markets. Gen Z is attracted to brands that are engaged in social good (especially if the companies offer an outlet for Gen Z to get involved), promote healthy living and provide empowering messages.

They’re also loyal customers. “If they love your brand, they care about your brand,” shared Good, with 43% willing to write or record a product review as a result of great customer experience. For example, to help better engage Gen Z residents in providing reviews, her company has added a confessional booth on its properties for residents to share why they love living there.

So how can you capture their attention? Here are four key factors to keep in mind:

• Ensure a streamlined digital experience: 60% of Gen Z shoppers won’t use apps or websites that load slowly or are difficult to navigate.
• Make it quick: Gen Z has a short attention span — 15 seconds, to be exact. “If you don’t grab them in those 15 seconds, you’ve lost them,” Good shared.
• Be responsive: Gen Z is highly mobile and expects fast responses. For example, 60% will hang up on a phone call if it’s not picked up in 17 seconds.
• Use real people and real messages: Gen Z doesn’t respond well to celebrity spokespeople; 63% would prefer real people in marketing messages to celebrities.

See more educational materials from NAHB Multifamily, including the IBS Multifamily Central, at nahb.org.