NAHB spent $540,000 lobbying in first quarter

WASHINGTON (AP) — The homebuilding industry's main trade association spent $540,000 in the first quarter lobbying Congress, the White House and several government agencies on housing, banking, residential construction lending and other issues, according to a disclosure report.

That's about 32 percent more than the $410,000 that the National Association of Home Builders spent on lobbying in the same quarter a year ago. It spent $440,000 on lobbying in the fourth quarter of last year.

The NAHB also lobbied the federal government on legislation involving taxes, labor, air and water quality, energy, small business, torts, transportation, the environment and consumer issues, according to the report.

Builders on the trade association's roster account for about 80 percent of the new homes built in the U.S. each year.

The group lobbied on several housing-related issues during the latest quarter, including bills aimed at boosting loans for residential construction, energy efficiency and flood insurance.

U.S. sales of new homes fell 2.1 percent in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 319,000 homes. Sales of new homes had increased the prior two months, but remain well below the 700,000 annual rate that economists say must be sold to sustain a healthy housing market.

Potential buyers are plagued by high unemployment, strict lending standards and fears that home prices will plunge again.

The NAHB now projects sales of new homes will be down this year versus 2010, when sales sank to the lowest level on records going back nearly 50 years.

In addition to lobbying Congress and the White House in the first quarter, the trade association also lobbied the departments of Labor, Energy, Treasury, as well as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Alex Strong, who worked for former Rep. Bob Riley, R-Ala., and Courtney Flezzani, who worked for Sens. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., were among those lobbying on behalf of the group during the quarter.