One of the most common complaints about the state of the homebuilding industry is regulation proving burdensome on small businesses.
Builder (and sub-contractor) experiences come from field work, not a classroom theory, so those experiences need to be shared with our Representatives. Maybe you feel like the current Steep Slope regulations should be a local matter. Maybe you think that Green Building requirements or Fire Sprinkler Systems mandates are too strict to make your business profitable and homes affordable. You need to share your personal experiences that are based on the effects of regulation on your business so that our legislators have real-world experiences to help plan reform.
Last week, several local builders traveled to Washington D.C for the annual Legislative Day conference where representatives from the National and State Home Builders Associations meet with our elected officials to discuss homebuilding issues. Each year, we have the opportunity to meet with our NC Representatives as well, by traveling to Raleigh for the NC Legislative Conference. There is also a unique opportunity coming soon where the Joint Committee on Regulatory Reform is traveling across the State to hear directly from locals the burdens of regulations on our businesses. They are holding six total sessions, one being held on April 15 in Hendersonville. If you can't make it to this meeting, public input on regulatory reform may be sent to the following email address: RegReform@ncleg.net. You are invited to participate in all these direct avenues for contacting your representatives.
But, you are (hopefully) busy working these days, and may not have time to fight the good fight on behalf of your fellow homebuilders. That's okay! The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is one of the largest lobbying groups in the country. Here in North Carolina, we have the largest state Association in the country- therefore we have a powerful voice when discussing national homebuilding regulatory reform and economic growth. We are also lucky to have a legislative staff at the North Carolina Home Builders Association (NCHBA) who are well respected by their peers and legislators both on the State and National Levels. Two staff (Mike Carpenter and Lisa Martin) were recently ranked among the most influential lobbyists in the NC General Assembly. Their job is simple, as listed on the NCHBA website: to protect the affordability of housing while enhancing the economic and social benefit to the community. They do this for the folks in our industry, every day! You can contact them anytime to voice your opinions on current legislation, get a deeper understanding of the issues, or suggest ideas for reform. They will represent you well and fight on your behalf to make sure that homebuilding issues remain a priority in Washington.
Donate to Build-PAC- you can do this at a National level, State, or through your local HBA. These dollars are non-partisan, going to the candidates who will best represent the interests of our industry. They must be personal contributions, but this is an excellent way to support the industry that supports you and help lead the way for reform in our industry through legislation.
Remember, if you don't care, no one else will either. Whether you like it or not, government has a direct impact on your business. You are the first step in regulatory reform for the homebuilding industry.
