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NIBS Issues Call-to-Action Report on Access to Clean Water and Housing Affordability

The National Institute of Building Sciences Consultative Council’s 2024 Moving Forward Report identifies key issues and makes recommendations to policymakers to guide potential solutions

(PRNewsfoto/National Institute of Building )

(WASHINGTON, DC, May 14, 2024) – The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) today issued the 2024 Moving Forward Report, a two-part report focused on recommendations to ensure access to clean water and sanitation and to promote housing affordability.

The report was compiled by the NIBS Consultative Council, which convenes high-level building community leaders to make collective recommendations directly to policymakers to improve the nation’s buildings and infrastructure. The report is included as a core component of NIBS Annual Report to the President of the United States.

“The Moving Forward Report is our opportunity to research critical issues and offer forward-thinking solutions to these challenges in the built environment,” said Stephen T. Ayers, NIBS Interim President & CEO. “The council’s findings, which are based on expert testimony and research by the council, are designed to ensure access to clean water and sanitation and promote housing affordability for all Americans.”

Clean Water and Sanitation and the Built Environment

In the report, “ Water and Sanitation Access and the Built Environment,” the Consultative Council focused on key considerations to inform decisions on planning for, mitigating, and potentially solving clean water access for residential and commercial buildings.

The council concluded that water use in buildings and households is an underexamined and underappreciated aspect of the water crisis in the U.S.

The water and sanitation access report calls for:

A Close Look at Housing Affordability

The 2024 Moving Forward Report also examines the fundamental problem of affordability of rental and for-sale housing in the U.S. The study kicked off last November, when NIBS hosted a hearing on housing affordability at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The hearing assembled leading experts from trade associations, think tanks, academia, and practitioners to discuss the state of housing affordability and solutions to address the affordability and availability of housing.

The housing affordability crisis has steadily worsened over decades of divergence between housing costs and incomes.

The council offers several recommendations around regulations, zoning and land use, financial investments, and alternative construction methods, including offsite construction. These include:

View the housing affordability report.

About NIBS

National Institute of Building Sciences brings together labor and consumer interests, government representatives, regulatory agencies, and members of the building industry to identify and resolve problems and potential issues in the built environment. NIBS is a non-profit, non-governmental organization. For more information, visit nibs.org or follow @bldgsciences on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

 

Christine Cube
Associate Director, Public Relations and Social Media
National Institute of Building Sciences
P: (202) 787-3271
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National Institute of Building Sciences