HBA Advocacy Update

HBA of F-M Endorses Arlin Fisher for Horace City Council

Last week, we hosted a candidate forum for the Horace City Council recall election. 

Candidate Arlin Fisher attended, Councilmember Stephanie Landstrom was unable to attend.

Industry issues, visions for Horace and housing were all discussed.

The HBA of F-M chose to endorse Arlin Fisher for city council. 

Voting information: 

In-person voting will happen 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Aug. 15 at the Horace Fire Hall/Event Center: 413 Main St. Horace, ND 58047.

HBA CEO discusses local housing study as part of The Chamber's Eggs & Issues event

HBA CEO Bryce Johnson joined Fargo Planning Commission Chairman Rocky Schneider, John Youness, EagleRidge Development and Erin Lonoff, HR&A Advisors, Inc., for an engaging discussion on the findings and implications of our region's comprehensive housing study conducted by the FM Metropolitan Council of Governments (Metro COG). The presentation was hosted by the FMWF Chamber as part of its Eggs & Issues series.

Some key takeaways:

• There are four primary themes necessary for understanding our local housing market: strong employment; a housing supply that lags behind a changing demand; opportunity for increased homeownership access and lack of sufficient affordable housing.
• Less than 20% of renters and 50% of all residents can afford the average home value of $274,000.
• Addressing our housing shortage has no “silver bullet” solution but needs to be a collaborative region-wide effort by all local communities to land use policies and funding strategies while also working with the housing industry to address codes and regulation that unnecessarily add cost to new construction.

Click here to view the presentation and the study itself.

Builders Association of Minnesota provides Minn. legislative session report

BAM recently shared its 2023 Session Report. 

Of particular note:

• Construction careers now eligible for workforce scholarships
• Residential construction wage theft liability shifted (changing the relationship between general contractors and subcontractors)
  • BAM has provided an in-depth explanation of this shift, click here to read it. 
• Paid Family & Medical Leave
  • This program will become effective Jan. 1, 2026.
  • It is a state-run program to provide paid time off for those experiencing family challenges or serious medical conditions. 
  • Paid for with a .7% payroll tax split between the employer and employees.
  • It does NOT apply to North Dakota businesses that have employees residing in Minnesota. However, it may apply if your employees also do work in Minnesota. 

Please refer to the link above to access the report for more detailed information.

Quick note for energy efficiency in Fargo

Fargo Building Official, Shawn Ouradnik, informed us that the International Energy Efficiency Code (IECC) says that all permanently installed lighting must be high-efficiency lighting. While LED bulbs are not required, documentation to prove the efficiency is needed if you are using a different kind of high-efficiency bulb. 

July Golf Outing NDAB-PAC fundraiser outcome

Through stringball, mulligans, and 2023 NDAB-PAC pin sales, HBA of F-M raised a little over $2,000 for NDAB-PAC. Thank you to all those that donated!

Special thanks to Tom Spaeth (above right), Accent Contracting and Kayla Pulvermacher (above left), NDAB for volunteering. HBA Education & Public Affairs Coordinator Elizabeth Kosel (second from left) and Communications Intern Rose Marcellus (third from left) also assisted in selling.

NDAB-PAC (Political Action Committee) helps support our advocacy efforts at the local and state levels. It also helps us support housing-friendly candidates that assist in keeping housing attainable. 

NAHB tells Congress how excessive regulations & codes harm housing affordability

NAHB Chairman Alicia Huey testified at a House Financial Services subcommittee meeting, explaining that many policies at local, state, and federal levels are having major impacts on housing affordability and production. Including transformer standards, electrification and gas stoves and building energy codes to name a few. 

“These are just a few examples that illustrate how regulatory costs, which account for about 24% of the price of a typical new single-family home, contribute to the housing affordability crisis,” said Huey. 

Read the full article here.