Legal
ALL NAHB Members Who Have Received a PPP Loan Can Have Their Loan Forgiven
It may sound too good to be true, but it isn’t: Thanks to NAHB’s recent legal victory, every NAHB member who has received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan can have their loan forgiven.
NAHB Legal Win Means All PPP Loans to Members Can be Forgiven
In a case brought by NAHB and Michigan builders, a federal court ruled that all NAHB members who received PPP loans can have their loans forgiven regardless of SBA eligibility rules.
Good and Bad Housing Provisions in $3.5 Trillion Reconciliation Plan
House Democrats are working to draft a $3.5 trillion Build Back Better plan that includes onerous tax hikes of $2 trillion and aggressive energy efficiency requirements in model building energy codes that would harm housing affordability. This ambitious plan also contains several other elements of interest to the housing community.
Number of Women in Construction Edges Higher
The number of women employed in the construction industry in the United States grew slightly in 2020, rising to around 1.17 million workers. The number reflects about 10.9% of the construction workforce, up from 10.3% in 2019, a recent analysis of labor force statistics from the Current Population Survey (CPS) showed.
Supreme Court Strikes Down CDC Eviction Moratorium
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision last night that said it was unlawful for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to unilaterally extend its eviction moratorium through Oct. 3, 2021.
Employee vs. Independent Contractor is an Important Distinction for Builders
It is important that home builders make hiring decisions with a clear understanding of how the law classifies workers as employees or independent contractors.
Labor Department Rescinds Trump-Era Joint Employer Rule; A Democratic Majority at NLRB
The U.S. Department of Labor today announced it will rescind a joint employer rule that took effect in March 2020. In a separate development, the Senate yesterday confirmed two of President Biden’s nominees to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), giving the Democrats a 3-2 majority.
Employers May File H-2B Visas for Returning Workers
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced today that employers may file H-2B petitions for returning workers under the FY 2021 H-2B supplemental visa temporary final rule. Employers may take this action if they are likely to suffer irreparable harm without these additional workers.
What’s Under the House: Fill Dirt and Moisture Issues
Two new construction liability resources explore what’s under a new home: Fill dirt that often causes issues and water seepage into basements.
Labor Scarcity Will Increase
The overall economy has 9.2 million unfilled jobs, nearly 300,000 of which are in the construction sector. NAHB economists expect labor to be a rising challenge for construction firms as the overall labor market heals in the coming quarters.
