Business View Magazine | April/May 2022
27 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 4 to help ensure a robust homebuilding industry that supports affordable housing for all state residents. “The role we play has never been more important, especially when you look at the shifting demographics in Texas as more people move here,” says Norman. Texas has historically been a favorite destination for people moving from other states, and this has recently accelerated. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the state’s population grew by four million, a population growth rate of 16.4%, behind Utah at 17.4%. Norman puts that into context, “With more people moving here, they need somewhere to sleep at night, somewhere to call home, and that’s what our members do. They work at ensuring people moving to the state find an affordable, quality place to live. Our mandate is to ensure our members have the best possible legislative and regulatory platform to deliver on this promise, covering advocacy areas like property rights, taxes, land use, transportation, and career and technical education.” The Texas Association of Builders was founded in 1946 as part of a federation of homebuilders’ associations that sprung up after the second world war. “After the war, the housing sector took off around the country,” explains Norman. “As a state association, the TAB was formed and works with our local homebuilders’ associations, which currently stand at 26 around the state.” While the TAB collaborates with downstream members on state-level issues, it also works with the National Association of Homebuilders in Washington D.C. to lobby for national-level legislative and regulatory changes. “What is interesting about where we are as an association 75 years after our founding is that we are still discussing the same issues,” muses Norman. “Issues like housing affordability, lending, plumbing regulation, etc. Besides representing homebuilders, the TAB also represents associate members like bankers, insurers, and suppliers, but with the core mandate of enabling TEXAS ASSOC I AT ION OF BUI LDERS
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