flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

NMHC Multifamily Construction Survey shows significant delays in apartment construction

Coronavirus

NMHC Multifamily Construction Survey shows significant delays in apartment construction

Survey asked construction firms how the spread of COVID-19 is affecting construction permitting, starts, completions, materials and labor.


By NMHC | April 17, 2020

Courtesy Pixabay

The percent of apartment developers reporting construction delays remained essentially the same in the second iteration of the National Multifamily Housing Council’s (NMHC) Construction Survey--56% compared to 55% in the April 3 survey. 

There was, however, a meaningful change in the percent of respondents reporting delays in construction starts, which portends potential for the COVID-19 pandemic to further exacerbate the nation’s affordable housing shortage. Of those reporting construction delays, fully 70% reported experiencing delays in starts, up 11 percentage points from the end of last month.

The NMHC Construction Survey is intended to gauge the magnitude of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 outbreak on multifamily construction. In addition to finding a majority are experiencing delays, it most notably determined that:

  • 77% of respondents experiencing construction delays reported issues with permitting (compared to a similar 76% from the last survey);
  • 28% noted a lack of materials is impacting their construction operations, up slightly from 24% at the end of March;
  • 44% indicated that COVID-19 outbreak-related labor constraints are affecting construction operations, a marginal increase from 41% of respondents last round.

As the outbreak continues, firms are becoming more adaptive in their strategies. Three-quarters of the respondents (75%) indicated that they have implemented new policies to deal with the hurdles forming in the virus’s wake – compared to 73% last round – with many of those firms indicating they have implemented more than one approach.

NMHC will conduct this Survey on an ongoing basis for the foreseeable future to continue to provide an estimation of the impact of COVID-19 on multifamily construction.

View the full survey results here.

This Survey is one of a number of NMHC-produced resources focused on the COVID-19 outbreak. Additional resources, data and materials can be found here.

Related Stories

Coronavirus | Mar 26, 2020

AIA praises Congress for advancing desperately needed COVID-19 relief

Approval for the latest relief legislation advances a number of AIA-supported measures to help meet the needs of firms and members.

Coronavirus | Mar 25, 2020

Coronavirus pandemic's impact on U.S. construction, notably the multifamily sector - 04-30-20 update

Coronavirus pandemic's impact on U.S. construction, notably the multifamily sector - 04-30-20 update

Coronavirus | Mar 25, 2020

Plaza Construction and Central Consulting & Contracting strategic alliance expands to Florida in response to coronavirus pandemic

New York City-based partnership to aid Florida healthcare systems amid COVID-19 outbreak and will continue medical construction in the region following resolution.

| Mar 25, 2020

Designing public health laboratories to safeguard researchers during pandemics

As laboratory designers, we want to shed light on a subset of our population critical to protecting us from, and preventing the spread of, severe outbreaks: public health researchers.

Market Data | Mar 23, 2020

Coronavirus will reshape UAE construction

The impact of the virus has been felt in the UAE, where precautionary measures have been implemented to combat the spread of the virus through social distancing.

Coronavirus | Mar 21, 2020

Perkins and Will’s CEO sees a light at the end of COVID-19 tunnel

Phil Harrison says the virus outbreak could make more clients see the connection between design and wellbeing.

Coronavirus | Mar 21, 2020

Construction business and union leaders call on government officials to include construction as an 'essential service' during shutdowns

The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, and the President of North America’s Building Trades Unions, Sean McGarvey, issued the following joint statement urging Government Officials to Exempt Construction Work from Regional, State and Local Work Shutdowns.

Coronavirus | Mar 21, 2020

Associated General Contractors launches eight-part webinar series around COVID-19

The programming, which begins Monday, will offer advice on how businesses might need to adjust during the virus.

Coronavirus | Mar 20, 2020

BD+C research: The AEC industry braces for tough sledding in the coming months amid COVID-19 outbreak

A new BD+C poll of U.S. architecture, engineering, and construction firms finds that companies are anticipating project postponements and delays.

Coronavirus | Mar 20, 2020

Pandemic has halted or delayed projects for 28% of contractors

Coronavirus-caused slowdown contrasts with January figures showing a majority of metro areas added construction jobs; Officials note New infrastructure funding and paid family leave fixes are needed.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


MFPRO+ Special Reports

Top 10 trends in affordable housing

Among affordable housing developers today, there’s one commonality tying projects together: uncertainty. AEC firms share their latest insights and philosophies on the future of affordable housing in BD+C's 2023 Multifamily Annual Report.



halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021