BIA Baldy View receives NAHB Awards for Best Gov't Affairs Effort

BIABV CEO Carlos Rodriguez, accepts the NAHB Award for Homebuilding Association Excellence- Gov't Affairs

For the second year in a row the  Building Industry Association of Southern California, Inc. Baldy View Chapter has received the National Association of Homebuilders’ (NAHB) Association Excellence Award, for Best Government Affairs Effort (regionally category) and was recognized at this year’s Leadership Institute Conference, San Antonio TX. BIABV won the 2015 AEA Award for its“California Limits Water Usage, Not Homebuilding” project, and the 2014 award in the Best Government Affairs Effort – Locally category for their “City of Victorville Zoning Taskforce” project.

The BIABV 2015 “California Limits Water Usage, Not Homebuilding” project came in response to the Governor’s executive order to reduce statewide water usage by 25%. BIABV conducted a comprehensive outreach effort to the water districts in its service area to ensure there would be no threats of home building moratoriums or unnecessary water regulations placed on new homes.

Executing this innovative public information campaign, the BIASC Baldy View Chapter helped avoid building moratoriums, and highlighted the efficiency of new homes and the innovative conservation efforts of local water agencies and developers. The new Water District Guide provides valuable information for its members and will help attract new development to the region.

The effort created the BIABV Water District Guide, Drought Briefing Materials and helped to ensure no moratoriums on new development would occur due to the drought (see below). 

2014 Best Government Affairs Effort

The Baldy View Chapter’s “City of Victorville Zoning Taskforce” project resulted from the City of Victorville’s attempt to reclassify all undeveloped Single Family Residential lots from a 7,200 SF minimum to 10,000 SF, effectively erasing over 3,500 future homes. The chapter staunchly opposed the downzoning proposal and worked with the city on viable alternatives.

The Baldy View Chapter staff raised approximately $65,000 through outreach to landowners, realtors and local homebuilders. The funds collected by the chapter were used to conduct a public opinion poll for messaging and to commission an economist, Dr. John Husing and a criminologist Dr. John Worrall to study the effects of the downzoning proposal.

The BIASC Baldy View Chapter continues to work diligently within their Government Affairs program to provide effective and impactful representation for its members in the building industry.