Podcast: Pro-Housing County Exec Discusses Home Building Growth

On the latest episode of NAHB's podcast, Housing Developments, CEO Jim Tobin and COO Paul Lopez welcome Josh Schoemann, county executive for Washington County, Wis., to discuss his Next Generation Housing Initiative to help builders build entry-level homes and increase housing opportunity.

The new housing program stemmed from Washington County's struggle to retain its younger residents once they went away to college or for other opportunities. In researching the factors that contributed to them leaving, housing was a major component.

"If they can't afford to live there, they're not coming back," Schoemann stated.

The program involved creating a coalition of government entities and housing professionals to help deregulate housing in the county, and securing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) financing to leverage down development costs and cover permit fees for entry-level homes.

"I call it a prosperity cycle - prosperous families create prosperous businesses, which create prosperous communities," Schoemann shared. "We've done this before. We just have to think differently than we have for the past 30 years."

Challenges have included NIMBY-ism, holding the coalition together, and keeping the plan moving forward, especially in the wake of municipalities than have been reluctant to remove regulations.

Tobin and Lopez also discuss the cabinet picks for the Trump administration, including Scott Turner to helm the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the opportunities for NAHB to collaborate.

Listen to the full episode of the podcast below, and subscribe to Housing Development through your favorite podcast provider or watch all the episodes on YouTube.