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HBA and NAHB’s grassroots efforts, including the recent “Bringing Housing Home” video conferences with Oregon’s congressional delegation, are showing results. At a recent House Appropriations subcommittee on President Biden’s 2022 budget request, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo made a commitment to address the high price of lumber. Responding to a request by Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) to make rising lumber prices and production issues a priority, Raimondo responded, “I promise you I will.” When responding to Rep. Aderholt, Secretary Raimondo said, “And what I can commit to you is to follow up with you to work collaboratively with you. I actually would love your guidance on what you think could be done. So right now, we are trying to get under the covers of what’s going on, what are the root causes, and then what can we do at ITA [International Trade Commission] to try to solve the problem because I understand the problem and it affects the whole industry.” Although our work is starting to pay dividends, continued pressure is needed to make sure the Biden Administration and congress follows through on the promise made by the secretary. Which is why we need you to “Ask Congress to work with the Administration to bring down the cost of building materials” by heeding this call to action. Please include your own story of how lumber prices are affecting affordability. For more information on HBA’s work with NAHB to address lumber pricing, contact Ryan Makinster at ryanm@hbapdx.org.