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Wednesday, November 8, 2000 The rest of the story By
JOHN HAYES Recently, home builders across the country were dismayed to hear national radio personality Paul Harvey blame our industry for the disappearance of farmland, unpopular decisions by zoning officials and the disappearance of green space. More than any other industry, the home builders are affected by the debate over growth as well as home buyers. Our builders work in a world in which demand is strong, but the pressure to limit growth is often intense. But let's look at the big picture, the "rest of the story," as Mr. Harvey puts it. Home builders supply an essential product. This country's expanding population requires and deserves decent, affordable shelter. The population of the United States will grow by some 30 million over the next 15 years. Approximately 1.3 million new households will be created each year and we will see a demand for about 1.1 million new homes per year. But over the last two decades, the number of communities seeking to limit growth has grown dramatically. Almost always, this anti-growth sentiment is strongest where housing demand is greatest. So how do we meet the demand for 1.1 million homes a year in an era in which many people are concerned about growth? The National Association of Home Builders believes the answer is smart growth, with an emphasis on meeting housing demand and innovative land use planning. Without smart growth, housing costs will continue to skyrocket beyond the reach of low- and middle-income consumers in places where demand for housing is not met. Americans will be forced to commute ever-longer distances to their jobs in major employment centers. Home builders are part of the solution for ensuring that we and our children have safe, decent, affordable housing and America continues to lead the world in providing its citizens with high quality of life. Mr. Harvey also implied during his 15-minute broadcast that there has been a massive depletion of our country's agricultural resources due to development, but the facts prove otherwise. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, urbanization is not threatening the U.S. food supply. The population of the Untied States has increased by approximately 80 percent over the past 50 years, while our food production has increased by 189 percent. We're still paying farmers NOT to grow crops. In fact, the amount of land used today for growing crops is virtually identical to 50 years ago. And, contrary to Mr. Harvey's assertions, built-up land comprises a scant 6 percent of the 1.9 billion acres within the 48 contiguous states, versus about 50 percent devoted to farmland. Finally, Mr. Harvey concluded his remarks by saying, "Such a few years down the road today, Americans will look about them at the economic infertility which subverted our prosperity, and we will be poor again; and we will be beating our breasts in anguish then, demanding to know why didn't somebody warn us." Unfortunately, a few years down the road, Americans are far more likely to be "beating their breasts" in frustration over housing shortages and costs than they are about the disappearance of cropland. For there will be plenty of food for all, but there won't be enough housing to go around in areas with no-growth mandates. The vast majority of builders are small businessmen and women who rely on their solid reputations in the communities where they have long lived and worked. Home builders are your neighbors. They hold fundraisers for charities like the March of Dimes, Make a Wish Foundation and Ronald McDonald House (or as is the case with the Home Builders Association of Midwest Georgia, they sponsor the Scholarship House Program). Their kids go to school with your kids. They donate their labor and skills to build homes with Habitat for Humanity and ramps for the disabled. They renovate and improve community baseball fields, park facilities and shelters for the homeless. Home builders care about their communities. If you heard Mr. Harvey's broadcast, if you are concerned about smart growth, if you realize that more affordable housing is an urgent need for many Americans, now you know "the rest of the story." You owe us an apology, Mr. Harvey. Shame on you. (John Hayes, who is with Torrey Homes, is president of the Home Builders Association of Midwest Georgia, which serves a membership of approximately 440 builders and associate members in Fayette, Coweta, Spalding, Heard and Meriwether counties.)
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