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I am proud to share that members of the Louisiana Home Builders Association recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to represent our state during the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) 2025 Legislative Conference. Alongside more than 1,000 builders, remodelers, and industry professionals from across the country, LHBA members participated in a vital effort to advocate for housing affordability and availability on Capitol Hill.
Our Louisiana delegation met directly with several key members of our congressional delegation, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Senator Bill Cassidy, Congressmen Cleo Fields and Clay Higgins, Congresswoman Julia Letlow, and staff from the offices of Senator John Kennedy and Congressman Troy Carter. We were honored to discuss the top issues impacting our ability to provide safe, quality, and affordable housing for Louisianians.
NAHB Chairman Buddy Hughes summed up the mission of the conference well: "The best way to ease the nation's housing affordability crisis and boost housing production is to break down the barriers that are impeding new home and apartment construction." That's the message we delivered in more than 250 meetings with federal lawmakers.
Our advocacy centered on three key issues that directly affect our industry:
1. Energy Codes and Energy Choice:We urged Congress to halt HUD and USDA mandates that require compliance with the costly 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), which could add $22,000 to $31,000 to the price of a new home. We also voiced strong support for the Energy Choice Act, which protects the use of natural gas in new homes—an important step toward controlling costs and preserving consumer choice.
2. Workforce Development:The skilled labor shortage continues to challenge our ability to build homes on time and within budget. We pushed for the passage of the bipartisan CONSTRUCTS Act and reforms to the Job Corps Program, both of which would expand training opportunities and prepare more workers for rewarding careers in the trades.
3. Tax Policy:We advocated for a tax package that supports housing and small businesses. Key components include making key provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent, expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, revising the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap, and preserving critical energy tax credits that builders have invested in to improve energy efficiency.
In addition to our meetings, we heard directly from Congressional leaders including House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, Senator Jacky Rosen (lead advocate for the CONSTRUCTS Act), Congressman Nick Langworthy (sponsor of the Energy Choice Act), and Congressman Mike Flood, Chair of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.
Your continued support of LHBA and NAHB makes these advocacy efforts possible. Thank you for your membership and your dedication to the housing industry. We are proud to be your voice in Baton Rouge and Washington, and we will continue working tirelessly to ensure policies are enacted that empower our members to build the homes Louisiana needs.
Kyle Cooper
