More than half (53%) of multifamily developer respondents reported construction delays in the jurisdictions where they operate, according to the third edition of the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) COVID-19 Construction Survey. Of this group, 85% reported delays in permitting due to COVID-19, up from 77% in round two (conducted April 9-14) and 76% in the initial survey (conducted March 27-April 1).
Getting permits is a major problem for multifamily developers and construction firms, says the NMHC in its latest survey.
Â
Survey respondents reporting construction delays also indicated a significant pause in starts, with 78%Â reporting delays, up 8 percentage points from the end of last month, and 19 percentage points from the first round.
More than three-quarters of multifamily developers said continue to face delays in starts, says the latest NMHC survey.
Â
The NMHC Construction Survey is intended to gauge the magnitude of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 outbreak on multifamily construction. Additional findings include:
• 53% of developers reported a delay in construction. Of those developers, the percentage experiencing a delay in construction because of construction moratorium dropped from 62% in round one to 37% in round three, indicating that construction activity is resuming as states relax pandemic-related restrictions.
• Only 29% of respondents reported being impacted by a lack of materials, but the percentage of respondents experiencing price increases in materials jumped to 17%,  from 5% in round one and 4% in round two. Despite this jump, 78% still report no price impact, and 24% of those implementing new strategies report they are sourcing alternative building materials, up 8 percentage points from the first survey.
Labor availability seems to be less of a problem for multifamily construction firms, says the NMHC survey.
• Labor availability has also improved over the course of the three surveys. Seventy percent of respondents said they were not impacted by labor shortages, up from 54% in round one and 57% in round two. This may be due in part to the fact that 24% of those implementing new strategies said they were offering workforce incentives or other benefits, up from 16% in round two.
Firms continue to innovate in the face of challenges posed by the outbreak. Fifty-nine percent of respondents indicated they have implemented new strategies to deal with the hurdles established by the virus’s continued presence. This is down from 75% in the last round and 73% in the first round. Many firms said they have implemented more than one strategy.
View the full survey results here and a comprehensive overview of the results here.
Additional resources, data, and materials from NMHC can be found here.
Related Stories
Augmented Reality | Jan 27, 2023
Enhancing our M.O.O.D. through augmented reality therapy rooms
Perkins Eastman’s M.O.O.D. Space aims to make mental healthcare more accessible—and mental health more achievable.
K-12 Schools | Nov 30, 2022
School districts are prioritizing federal funds for air filtration, HVAC upgrades
U.S. school districts are widely planning to use funds from last year’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) to upgrade or improve air filtration and heating/cooling systems, according to a report from the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council. The report, “School Facilities Funding in the Pandemic,” says air filtration and HVAC upgrades are the top facility improvement choice for the 5,004 school districts included in the analysis.
Giants 400 | Nov 14, 2022
4 emerging trends from BD+C's 2022 Giants 400 Report
Regenerative design, cognitive health, and jobsite robotics highlight the top trends from the 519 design and construction firms that participated in BD+C's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Healthcare Facilities | Jun 20, 2022
Is telehealth finally mainstream?
After more than a century of development, telehealth has become a standard alternative for many types of care.
Coronavirus | May 20, 2022
Center for Green Schools says U.S. schools need more support to fight COVID-19
 The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council released a new report detailing how school districts around the country have managed air quality within their buildings during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Industry Research | Mar 9, 2022
Survey reveals five ways COVID-19 changed Americans’ impressions of public restrooms and facilities
Upon entering the third year of the pandemic, Americans are not only more sensitive to germs in public restrooms, they now hold higher standards for the cleanliness, condition and technology used in these shared spaces, according to the annual Healthy Handwashing Survey™ from Bradley Corporation conducted in January.Â
Codes and Standards | Feb 21, 2022
New standard for ultraviolet germicidal irradiation
The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) recently introduced the standard, ANSI/IES RP-44-21 Recommended Practice: Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation.
Coronavirus | Jan 20, 2022
Advances and challenges in improving indoor air quality in commercial buildings
Michael Dreidger, CEO of IAQ tech startup Airsset speaks with BD+C's John Caulfield about how building owners and property managers can improve their buildings' air quality.
Coronavirus | Jul 20, 2021
5 leadership lessons for a post-pandemic world from Shawmut CEO Les Hiscoe
Les Hiscoe, PE, CEO of Shawmut, a $1.5 billion construction management company headquartered in Boston, offers a 5-point plan for dealing with the Covid pandemic.
Resiliency | Jul 15, 2021
A new report urges federal investment in healthier buildings
The National Institute of Building Sciences also calls for code changes and greater cooperation between building owners and the AEC community.