Professional Builder – August 2019

ProBuilder.com Professional Builder 17

[NAHB HOUSING POLICY BRIEFING]

In June, builder confi dence dipped 2 points to a 64

reading in the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index.

New-home sales dropped 7.8% in May, while housing

starts retreated slightly (0.9%) to a seasonally adjusted

annual rate of 1.269 million units. Remodeling spending

fell 1.2% to about $165.6 million.

ABOUT NAHB: THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOME BUILDERS IS A WASHINGTON, D.C.-BASED TRADE

ASSOCIATION REPRESENTING MORE THAN 140,000 MEMBERS INVOLVED IN HOME BUILDING, REMODELING,

MULTIFAMILY CONSTRUCTION, PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, SUBCONTRACTING, DESIGN, HOUSING FINANCE,

BUILDING PRODUCT MANUFACTURING, AND OTHER ASPECTS OF RESIDENTIAL AND LIGHT COMMERCIAL

CONSTRUCTION. FOR MORE, VISIT NAHB.ORG.

ADDRESSING THE OPIOID

EPIDEMIC IN THE HOME

BUILDING INDUSTRY

E

arlier this year, the National Safety Council, a nonprofi t

organization that promotes health and safety in the U.S.,

reported that the lifetime odds of dying by accidental opi-

oid overdose are 1 in 96, marking the fi rst time expected drug

deaths surpassed the odds of dying in a motor vehicle accident.

Opioid addiction often begins with painkillers, such as Oxy-

Contin or Vicodin, taken for pain after an injury. If a patient isn’t

careful, they can become dependent on the medication, prompt-

ing a search for more powerful versions of the drug, such as hero-

in or the deadly fentanyl.

For some in the construction industry, the desire to get back to

work quickly leaves them with few options other than to man-

age the pain of injury before it’s fully healed. But the risk of re-

injury is high, often necessitating more painkillers.

As a result, construction workers are more likely to become ad-

dicted to opioids than other workers in the general population and

six times more likely to die as a result of overdose. Construction

is the second leading industry for drug addiction, with twice the

rate of substance use disorders than the national average.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) convened

a working group last year to research the impact of opioids in

the home building industry, specifi cally, and explore ways to ad-

dress the problem. In June, NAHB published a comprehensive set

of resources for home builders, subcontractors, HBAs, and public

health advocates. The materials can be found at nahb.org/opioids.

NAHB is taking an innovative approach to addressing opioid use

and misuse by viewing the problem holistically and creating solu-

tions and educational resources that address intervention points

across the spectrum of prevention, treatment, recovery, and re-

turn-to-work. Getting workers safely back to work, rather than

immediately dismissing them at the fi rst sign of addiction, is the

main goal of the materials.

In an industry already struggling with labor shortages, simply

turning away workers in their time of need seems impractical on

every level. Recognizing the signs of addiction, practicing open

communication, and developing and implementing strategies to

help workers is the best way to combat this public health crisis.

HOUSING MARKET SNAPSHOTHOUSING MARKET SNAPSHOT

BUILDER CONFIDENCE DIPS

NEW-HOME SALES DROP

REMODELING SPENDING DOWN

230,

220,

210,

200,

190,

170,

150,

130,

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

1,

1,

800

600

400

200

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

626,

$165.

million

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

64

HOUSING STARTS RETREAT

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

1,

1,

1,

750

500

250

1.

million