In late January, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army published the final Navigable Waters Protection Rule to define “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) in the Clean Water Act (CWA). …
Government Affairs/Volume Builders Meeting on Dec. 10
The GHBA’s Government Affairs and Volume Builders Committees will hold a joint meeting on Tuesday, December 10 at 11:30 a.m. in the GHBA boardroom. This meeting will cover a wide variety of topics both at …
Harris County Issues Clarification on Development Regulations
In June, Harris County adopted new drainage and floodplain management regulations, as well as new development requirements based on the updated Atlas 14 study of historical rainfall data. At the time the GHBA, along with …
EPA Repeals 2015 Waters of the U.S. Rule
Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) repealed the 2015 joint Clean Water Act (CWA) “Waters of the U.S.”(WOTUS) definition and rule. That rule would have dramatically expanded jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act and …
Residential Lot Banking: Alternative Financing to Fuel Homebuilding Growth
Home to four of the top 10 fastest growing cities in the country, the Texas homebuilding market continues to heat up. One challenge homebuilders face in this hot market is how to maintain capital to …
New State Laws Effective September 1
The 86th Texas Legislature has come to a close with hundreds of bills signed into law. Here are three that should be on your radar as a Texas homebuilding professional. House Bill 2439 by Representative …
City of Houston Announces Green Infrastructure Incentives
Last summer, the GHBA along with other development and community stakeholders were invited to participate and contribute in the process to develop the City of Houston’s Green Stormwater Incentives to encourage the use of green …
Harris County Adopts New Development Regulations Based on Atlas 14 Data
The Harris County Commissioners Court has adopted changes to development regulations that were based on the updated Atlas 14 study of historical rainfall data. These changes are effective immediately. Atlas 14 is a study conducted …
10 Common Reasons for Site Plan Review Rejections
The Houston Planning and Development Department (P&D) wants to help you get your site plans approved quickly and with the fewest amount of rejections possible. To this end, the team has identified the 10 most …
Texas Legislature Passes Historic Flood Control Legislation
The GHBA is a founding member of Houston Stronger, a coalition of development stakeholders from around our region. The group’s initial purpose when it formed shortly after Hurricane Harvey was to push for what became …
NAHB Regulatory Achievement
Important Step Forward on Waters of the U.S. Rule We are pleased to announce that the Trump administration today released its proposed new definition for “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) that will resolve years …
City of Houston Floodplain and Drainage Regulations
The City of Houston recently made some major revisions to Chapter 19, the floodplain ordinance, and to Chapters 9 and 13 regarding drainage in the infrastructure design manual. These new regulation changes went into effect on …
Waters of the U.S. Rule Implementation Halted in Texas
Recently, there has been much confusion over the implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) joint Clean Water Act (CWA) “Waters of the U.S.”(WOTUS) definition and …
New Regulations for the City of Houston Effective September 1
In an attempt to take action following Hurricane Harvey, the City of Houston has taken an aggressive, accelerated and largely emotional response by adopting onerous building and drainage regulation changes that went into effect on …
Congressman John Culberson at Developers Council
On August 1, the GHBA Developers Council hosted Congressman John Culberson (CD-7) who discussed his work on securing federal funds for Harvey recovery and infrastructure projects in his role as a subcommittee chairman of the …