NAHB’s state and local team convened mayors, city leaders, planners and builders to address workforce development challenges as part of the America’s Housing Comeback (AHC) discussion series spearheaded by the National League of Cities (NLC) the American Planning Association (APA).  

The discussion, held in Orlando earlier this year, gave city leaders the opportunity to hear directly from builders about the mounting challenges they face with recruitment and retention, not only for trades professionals but also public sector staffing. 

Ed Brady, CEO of the Home Builders Institute (HBI), and Emily Price, HBI senior vice president of development and partnership engagement, outlined how HBI programming strengthens city workforces. They gave specific examples of effective public-private sector partnerships. 

Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington, NAHB’s associate vice president of forecasting and analysis, reinforced the message by providing data and insights of how labor market conditions and demographic trends affect housing development. She explained that weak job growth, low workforce participation, and a significant slowdown in population growth harm the labor market. Specifically, home builders are facing persistent labor shortages, with nearly 225,000 job openings in the construction industry in March 2026. 

Residential construction hiring is one aspect of the workforce challenge. APA President Sue Schwartz, along with several NAHB staff, spoke about the workforce shortages across roles, from planners and building inspectors to specialized legal and technical staff. Each of the speakers provided practical solutions to reduce risks and minimize delays, from third-party contracting to shared staffing and self-certification for licensed professionals.  

The program concluded with a presentation by the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City. The association’s “Let Builders Build” public awareness campaign revealed how public sentiment can shift to support pro-growth policies when messaging focuses on the value of homeownership.   

For more news related to advocacy at the state and local level, check out the spring issue of The State Affairs.