kiwiman127
Comfortably Moderate
President Donald Trump's promises to rebuild Harvey-slammed Houston "better than ever" may run aground of some of his own policies.
"We are going to get you back and operating immediately," Trump said during a visit to Corpus Christi on Tuesday, during which he pledged to provide model recovery assistance to the decimated region. "We want to do it better than ever before. We want to be looked at in five years, in 10 years from now as, 'This is the way to do it.'"
That's if they can find the people to do it.
"One of the challenges is the lack of workers," said Robert Dietz, chief economist for the National Association of Homebuilders. "The storm will increase the demand for remodeling and repair and will require the same kind of workers from the pool of single family construction."
That pool was already getting shallow, according to a survey the association conducted before Hurricane Harvey hit.
More than 70 percent of builders reported shortages of framing crews and carpenters, according to the survey. And more than 60 percent reported an ongoing dearth of drywall installers, concrete workers, and bricklayers.
This has been driven in large part by declines in the number of skilled construction workers, with net migration from Mexico down since 2009.
Diane Swonk is a Chicago-based independent economist who speaks regularly with construction and building companies as part of her research into the housing market.
"They can't get anyone to show up for fear of getting deported," she said.
Trump's Policies Will Get in the Way of His Promise to Rebuild Texas
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First the vegetable and fruit farmers getting hurt by the immigrant worker shortage (and soon the consumer).
Now the recovery of the cities, towns and their residents that were pounded by Harvey appear to be in jeopardy of Trump's tough immigrant policy.
I think it's time for Trump to hold off on his Green Card reform.
Thoughts?
"We are going to get you back and operating immediately," Trump said during a visit to Corpus Christi on Tuesday, during which he pledged to provide model recovery assistance to the decimated region. "We want to do it better than ever before. We want to be looked at in five years, in 10 years from now as, 'This is the way to do it.'"
That's if they can find the people to do it.
"One of the challenges is the lack of workers," said Robert Dietz, chief economist for the National Association of Homebuilders. "The storm will increase the demand for remodeling and repair and will require the same kind of workers from the pool of single family construction."
That pool was already getting shallow, according to a survey the association conducted before Hurricane Harvey hit.
More than 70 percent of builders reported shortages of framing crews and carpenters, according to the survey. And more than 60 percent reported an ongoing dearth of drywall installers, concrete workers, and bricklayers.
This has been driven in large part by declines in the number of skilled construction workers, with net migration from Mexico down since 2009.
Diane Swonk is a Chicago-based independent economist who speaks regularly with construction and building companies as part of her research into the housing market.
"They can't get anyone to show up for fear of getting deported," she said.
Trump's Policies Will Get in the Way of His Promise to Rebuild Texas
====================================================
First the vegetable and fruit farmers getting hurt by the immigrant worker shortage (and soon the consumer).
Now the recovery of the cities, towns and their residents that were pounded by Harvey appear to be in jeopardy of Trump's tough immigrant policy.
I think it's time for Trump to hold off on his Green Card reform.
Thoughts?
