May 2020
HBAs and Member Companies Participate in Safety Stand Down
2018 International Energy Conservation Code Hello Members, please be advised the 2018 Nebraska Energy Code goes into effect on July 1, 2020 for both residential and commercial projects. LB405, which updates the Nebraska Energy Code from the 2009 IECC to the 2018 IECC and ASHRAE 90.1-2016, was passed by the state's Unicameral Legislature on May 2, 2019 and signed by the Governor on May 8, 2019. -Daniel Curtis
Home building job sites all over the country stopped work on Thursday, April 16 to educate workers and subcontractors on proper coronavirus safety measures. Hundreds of NAHB member companies and HBAs participated in the national COVID-19 Job Site Safety Stand Down. The hashtags assoc- iated with the stand down were used more than 500 times on social media and generated more than 3.5 million impressions. The safety stand down came out of discussions between the steering members of the Construction Industry Safety Coalition. The Associated General Contractors of America held their stand down on April 9, NAHB on April 16, and Associated Builders and Contractors held theirs on April 23. With materials created by the coalition, home builders, subcontractors, building suppliers, HBAs, and other associated businesses provided focused education on what workers on job sites should do to keep themselves healthy and flatten the curve for all. Safety resources, including a corona- virus preparedness plan and posters in English and Spanish, can be found at NAHB.org/safety.
IN THIS EDITION CHB BOARD OF DIRECTORS p.3 CALENDAR OF EVENTS p.3 NEWS ACROSS THE NATION p.4-5 NAHB SAVINGS p.6 FIND YOUR ANSWERS p. 7
Building 1,000 Homes Packs an Economic Punch A new study from NAHB shows that housing stands poised to lead the economic rebound once social distancing and other virus mitigation efforts show success in containing the coronavirus pandemic. Building 1,000 average single-family homes creates 2,900 full-time jobs and generates $110.96 million in taxes and fees for all levels of government to support police, firefighters and schools, according to NAHB’s National Impact of Home Building and Remodeling report. Similarly, building 1,000 average rental apartments generates 1,250 jobs and $55.91 million in taxes and revenue for local, state and federal government. Moreover, $10 million in remodeling expenditures creates 75 jobs and nearly $3 million in taxes. “Before the coronavirus pummeled the U.S. economy, housing was on the rise, with January and February new home sales numbers posting their highest reading since the Great Recession,” said NAHB Chairman Dean Mon. “The demand is clearly there, and as this study shows, we expect that housing will play its traditional role of helping to lead the economy out of recession later in 2020 when the pandemic subsides.” READ MORE
The new coronavirus, or COVID-19, causes a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person usually when an infected person coughs or sneezes or through close contact with one another. Protecting all construction workers will depend on following basic infection prevention measures such as practicing good personal hygiene and following jobsite safety practices to prevent the spread of the virus.
Leadership List CHB Board of Directors President Levi Abbott Vice President Jerry Nauenburg Treasurer Hollie Olk Past President Steve Long NSHBA Directors Sectretary Steve Long Directors Levi Abbot Jerry Nauenburg
Calendar of Events May 18 General Membership Meeting kwElite Real Estate CANCELLED June 19 Steak Fry 6:00 pm Camp Pawnee CANCELLED July 27 kwELITE Real Estate 6:30 August 14 NSHBA Golf Outing Awarii Dunes, Kearney August 24 General Membership Meeting 6:30 NAHB Field Rep Justin Reyes
HBI Extends Free Online Learning The Home Builders Institute (HBI) has extended free online learning alternatives for local schools and training programs through May 31, in response to continued requests for K-12 Career Technical Education (CTE) amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Flexible Instruction Day materials do not require textbooks or workbooks to accommodate self-paced learning.
IRS Extends Filing Deadline The IRS has significantly broadened its tax return filing and payment relief in response to COVID-19. According to Notice 2020-23, nearly all taxpayers with a filing or payment deadline falling on or after April 1, 2020, and before July 15, 2020, will now have until July 15, 2020 to file returns and make payments without penalties or interest. The expanded relief applies to individuals, partnerships, corporations, estates, and other non-corporate tax filers. New Home Sales Fall 15.4% in March Sales of newly built, single-family homes fell 15.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 627,000 units in March, coming off a downward revision in February, according to newly released data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. The March rate is 9.5% lower than the March 2019 pace.
HUD's Carson Joins NAHB Webinar In an exclusive webinar for NAHB members, HUD Secretary Ben Carson and FHA Commissioner Brian Montgomery recently outlined specific measures the agency has implemented to battle the COVID-19 pandemic and lauded the efforts of NAHB during this outbreak. The two housing policy experts also answered detailed questions from NAHB members. A replay of the webinar is available to NAHB members in the Webinars and Town Halls section of nahb.org/coronavirus.
Congress Approves $484 Billion Stimulus Congress has approved a $484 billion relief measure to combat the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. The legislation provides $380 billion in funding for two key small-business loan programs that ran out of money under the CARES Act. Businesses applying for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan may request an advance of up to $10,000 to be delivered within three days of the request. Under the Paycheck Protection Program, small businesses can take out loans equal to 2.5 times their average monthly payroll, up to $10 million.
A recent NAHB survey of professional remodelers shows the negative effect the coronavirus pandemic is having on the decision to remodel. More than 90% of remodelers in the survey reported a slowdown in both the rate at which inquiries are coming in, and in the general willingness of home owners to remodel at this time. Roughly 96% of remodelers said the virus was hurting the rate at which inquiries are coming in, and a full 70% characterized the negative impact on inquiries as major rather than minor. The survey listed eight impacts of the coronavirus on the remodeling market. More than 80% of respondents said the virus was having a noticeable effect on: Homeowner concerns about inter- acting with remodeling crews (86%); Supply of N95 face masks (84%); Cancellations or delays of existing projects (84%). The pandemic is having significant adverse effects on the remodeling market, but the strongest ones are the negative impacts on the behavior of potential customers.
2020 NGBS Now Available The 2020 edition of the ICC-700 National Green Building Standard® (NGBS) has been approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and is available for public use. As of April 2020, more than 216,000 homes have been NGBS Green certified. The 2020 edition is the fourth edition of the standard. It reflects significant changes based on evolving market conditions and feedback received over the past decade from those using the standard. The NGBS includes high-performance practices in six areas: Lot Design and Development, Resource Efficiency, Water Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Building Operation & Maintenance.
States Start Reopening to Building Thanks to efforts by NAHB and state home builder associations, the few remaining states that have halted residential construction activity due the COVID-19 pandemic — Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington and Vermont — are taking steps to allow home building to resume production. In a critical win for NAHB and the residential construction sector, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on March 28 designated construction of single-family and multifamily housing as an “Essential Infrastructure Business.” Although this designation was not binding for individual states, most states followed the federal guidelines. Access NAHB’s updated map showing where construction can continue.
Survey Finds Remodelers Seeing Fewer Customer Inquiries
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Business Savings As a member of your local Home Builder’s Association, you can gain access to Amazon Business’ vast selection, competitive pricing and shipping options to meet your needs. Amazon Business features When you create a business account, you can access the NAHB Amazon store which offers recommended products tailored to your industry’s needs while unlocking additional business savings. Learn More
Flat Rate Discounts on Shipping NAHB and UPS took the guesswork out and put the easy in. Members now have access to new and improved flat discount pricing with savings of: 50% on Domestic Next Day/Deferred 30% on Ground Commercial / Residential and up to 50% on additional services In addition, members can take advantage of UPS Smart Pickup® service for free. Learn More
Nissan and Infiniti of North America is excited to extend NAHB member business exclusive incentives towards a purchase or lease of your next Nissan or Infiniti vehicle. These incentives are available on 2019 and 2020 model year sedans, crossovers, SUVs, sports car, luxury models, pickup trucks and cargo vans.* You can save thousands on your next purchase of any Nissan or Infiniti model.** View a list of price incentives for all eligible Nissan and Infiniti models. Learn More
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We will continue to assess upcoming events and look at the recommendations from the leaders in our community, state and national. NAHB will be providing additional updates with some of the relief they are trying to help provide to members. This is an unprecedented time and our association will do what we can for our members and the community. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the CHBA. Important information for you: Columbus Government Website COVID-19 Updates Planning and Zoning Department
Nebraska State Home Builders We all must be diligent in what is recommended by our leaders and communities. Listed below are some valuable resources. Legislature approves emergency coronavirus funding Tax Credits Available Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Nebraska Department of Labor – Rapid Response CDC Self-Checker SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans
National Association of Home Builders NAHB is dedicated to mitigating the effects of COVID-19 on the residential construction sector. Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Senate Approves $2.2 Trillion Economic Stimulus Package Construction Exemptions Map Consumer Resources OSHA Covid-19 SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCES US Small Business Administration COVID-19 Guidance & Loan Resources Treasury and IRS Issue Guidance on Deferring Tax Payments Due to COVID-19 Outbreak SBA Disaster Assistance
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