WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced legislation to bolster the housing construction workforce as a way to help increase housing supply and lower costs. Nevada is currently suffering from one of the worst shortages of affordable housing in the nation, and the lack of residential construction workers is a key reason behind it. The Creating Opportunities for New Skills Training at Rural and Underserved Colleges and Trade Schools (CONSTRUCTS) Act would create a new competitive grant program at the Department of Labor to fund residential housing construction education and skills training programs at community colleges and career and technical education schools. This will help address the shortage of skilled construction workers that is driving up costs for construction businesses and developers, allowing them to build more homes and help lower costs.
“Nevada is experiencing a severe housing shortage and affordability crisis, and I’m taking action to lower these costs,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m introducing this legislation to help build more housing by bolstering our nation’s housing construction workforce through skills-training for critical good-paying jobs that don’t require a four-year college degree. By increasing the housing supply, we can help meet demand and lower costs for hardworking Nevada families.”
“The National Association of Home Builders commends Sen. Rosen for introducing the CONSTRUCTS Act, legislation that will ease the severe labor shortage in the home building industry that is causing construction delays and raising housing costs,” said Carl Harris, Chairman of the National Association of Home Builders. “In any given month, our industry faces a shortage of roughly 400,000 construction workers. By supporting new and existing residential construction education programs, the CONSTRUCTS Act will help ensure we have enough workers to build the homes our nation needs.”
“The Nevada Housing Coalition supports the CONSTRUCTS Act as it addresses critical workforce needs in the residential construction industry,” said Maurice Page, Executive Director of the Nevada Housing Coalition. “This initiative aligns with our mission to enhance affordable housing through workforce development and education, ensuring that more Nevadans, particularly those from rural and underserved communities, have the skills needed for careers in this vital sector.”
“I want to thank Senator Rosen for introducing this vital legislation that will significantly enhance our community colleges’ ability to provide cutting-edge workforce development programs tailored to the residential housing construction industry,” said Patricia Charlton, Chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education. “By creating new opportunities for skills training at our institutions, we can better prepare our students and incumbent workers for high-demand jobs aimed at addressing Nevada’s housing crisis and empower our local communities with well-trained professionals ready to contribute to our state’s economic growth.”
“The Reno + Sparks Chamber of Commerce applauds Senator Rosen for introducing the CONSTRUCTS Act,” said Ann Silver, CEO of the Reno + Sparks Chamber of Commerce. “Our community colleges and trade schools are the engines that drive workforce development. This legislation provides the fuel these institutions need to develop skilled residential construction workers, who, in turn, will build much-needed housing in northern Nevada.”
“The Vegas Chamber commends U.S. Senator Rosen for introducing the CONSTRUCT ACT,” said Mary Beth Sewald, President and CEO of the Vegas Chamber. “This legislation will incentivize community colleges across the country to fund residential housing construction education and workforce training programs through a competitive grant process by the U.S. DOL. This legislation demonstrates an innovative approach to helping address workforce development needs by providing another pathway to Nevadans that want to pursue a career in the residential construction industry.”
“We are pleased to support the proposed CONSTRUCTS Act,” said Amber Donnelli, President of Great Basin College. “Throughout our vast rural network, GBC links arms with industry to host robust workforce development programs, and this funding will be a welcome addition to our training. Most communities we serve have insufficient residential housing. This construction workforce bill is an important step forward in helping to offer families a living wage and a family home.”
In addition to the Nevada Housing Coalition, the Nevada System of Education, the Reno + Sparks Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Home Builders, the Vegas Chamber of Commerce, and Great Basin College, this legislation is also endorsed by the Nevada Rural Housing Authority, Nevada State University, Nevada HAND, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and Enterprise Community Partners.
Senator Rosen has been working to support Nevada’s skilled workforce and lower costs. Last month, she announced over $4 million for registered apprenticeships and workforce development in northern Nevada. Earlier this year, Senator Rosen announced the delivery of federal funding she secured as part of the FY23 Bipartisan Appropriations Package for workforce development in southern Nevada.
Senator Rosen is also working to lower housing costs through the Housing Oversight and Mitigating Exploitation (HOME) Act, which would crack down on price gouging by corporate investors who drive up home prices by buying up housing stock, and she urged the Department of Housing and Urban Development to increase the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority’s (SNRHA) Housing Choice Vouchers allocation by 10,000 vouchers over five years.
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