Last week, members of the M&M Glass team, including our CEO, Director of Marketing, and a member of our Sales Team, traveled to Washington, D.C., to join more than 1,100 builders, suppliers, and industry partners from across the country for a single purpose: advocating for housing affordability.
As a glass and mirror installation company that’s been part of South Louisiana’s building community since 1982, we don’t just supply materials to homebuilders; we’re part of the same supply chain, the same labor pool, and the same regulatory environment that determines whether a family in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lafayette, or the Northshore can afford a new home. When that system gets harder to navigate, it affects everyone in our industry, including us.
Here’s what we went to Capitol Hill to advocate for, and why it matters to builders, suppliers, and families across Louisiana.
Landmark Housing Legislation to Increase Supply
A major focus this year was supporting housing legislation moving through the Senate that’s designed to increase the nation’s housing supply and improve affordability for American families. Louisiana has seen steady population growth in the Greater Baton Rouge, Acadiana, and Northshore markets, and supply has not kept pace with demand in many of these areas. Legislation that makes it easier to build more homes, more efficiently, directly benefits the builders we work with every day, and the families waiting to move into these homes.
Skilled Labor and Workforce Development
The labor shortage in construction and trades isn’t new, but it continues to affect timelines and costs across the industry. From framers and electricians to glass installers like our own crews, the entire residential and commercial building pipeline depends on a steady supply of skilled tradespeople. That’s why workforce development was front and center in our conversations on the Hill. Supporting programs that introduce people to careers in the trades, and make it easier for companies like ours to train and retain skilled workers.
Permitting Reform: Making the Process More Predictable
Anyone who has worked on a residential or commercial build in Louisiana knows that permitting can be one of the biggest sources of delay and added cost on a project. Unclear, inconsistent, and lengthy permitting processes don’t just slow builders down; they ripple through to every trade and supplier waiting on a green light, including fabrication and installation timelines for projects we are involved in. We advocated for permitting reform that makes the process more transparent, predictable, and efficient, so projects can move forward on schedule and homes can get into the hands of families faster.
Energy Choice: Letting Homeowners Decide
We also advocated for energy choice policies that preserve a homeowner’s right to decide how they heat their home and cook their meals. These decisions should stay with the families who live in these homes, not be dictated by regulations that limit their options before they are even moved in.
Regulation Now Accounts for over 26% of the Cost of a New Home
According to NAHB research cited during this year’s advocacy events, regulatory costs now make up more than 26% of the price of a new home. That’s a significant portion of the cost that has nothing to do with the materials, labor, or land that go into building a home – and it’s a major driver of affordability challenges families face across the country, including right here in South Louisiana.
Why M&M Glass Shows Up for This
M&M Glass has been an active member of five regional Home Builders Associations for years. This involvement isn’t just about networking. It’s about staying connected to the issues that affect the builders we partner with on projects throughout the region, and making sure suppliers and fabricators have a voice in conversations that shape the future of our industry.
As a family-owned business, we’ve built our business around being a dependable partner to builders across Greater Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lafayette, and the Northshore. Advocacy at the national level is part of how we support that role, because policies set in Washington affect projects on the ground here in Louisiana.
Looking Ahead
We’re proud to stand alongside more than 1,100 builders and industry partners from across the country in pushing for policies that make housing more attainable for American families. We’ll continue to share updates as the legislation moves forward, and we remain committed to supporting the builders, contractors, and homeowners we work with every day across South Louisiana.