Through the National Housing Endowment, NAHB has established a relief fund for home builders associations and their members to make contributions to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina in Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.

“Our hearts go out to those affected by Hurricane Katrina, and NAHB is again poised to respond as an industry to contribute to the massive relief effort,” said NAHB President David Wilson. “We’ve all seen the reports of devastation and are both saddened and humbled by the enormity of this natural disaster and its toll on life, property and way of life for the residents of the hardest hit areas.”

At a meeting later this week in conjunction with the association’s fall board meeting in Reno, Nev., the NAHB Senior Officers will be making decisions about details of the relief fund, including how the funds can best be distributed.

In the meantime, Wilson noted, “Our disaster response team, comprising NAHB staff members from the Codes and Standards and Public Affairs departments, has attempted to reach out to associations in the Gulf Coast states. As you might imagine, the state of communications, electricity and ongoing rescue operations has hampered our ability to reach anyone local to the hurricane disaster.”

Donations should be earmarked for the “Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund” and sent to:

National Housing Endowment
Attn: Troy Patterson
1201 15th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20005

For answers to questions, e-mail Kathy O’Kane, NAHB assistant staff vice president of leadership support and operations, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8295.