More than 90 industry trade groups have joined to claim that housing construction is necessary to maintain safety, sanitation, and economic security.
The Mortgage Bankers Association joined more than 90 industry trade groups in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, urging DHS to designate construction of single-family and multifamily housing as an “Essential Infrastructure Business.” The distinction is important, the letter said, to during the coronavirus pandemic. “As cities and states issue declarations and public health orders as a result of the crisis, it is essential that communities have access to our professionals to build and maintain essential services including: building, plumbing, residential property management, rental housing operators, roofing, electrical, HVAC systems, waste/wastewater treatment plants and power generations,” the letter said. The coronavirus pandemic has brought large segments of the U.S. economy to a halt; more than three million Americans filed unemployment claims in one week recently as state and local governments issued public health orders requiring citizens to stay home and closing non-essential businesses. The letter indicated that government functions related to building and development process, such as inspections, permitting and plan review services can be modified to protect the public health, but fundamentally should continue and serve the construction of housing (e.g., allow qualified private third-party inspections in case of government shutdown).
Source: MBA