Kansas City Star Seyz: Keep Energy Codes Despite Builder Complaints

It's always fun when the newspaper wants to save the planet given that their biz model is predicated on cutting down forests for their product. 

Still . . .

Here's a peek at their endorsement of higher housing prices and greater scarcity amid rampant local builder outcry . . . 

"The new standards will benefit many renters as well as home buyers. They require newly built homes and renovations on existing homes to meet energy efficiency requirements on insulation, leakage and more.

"Other developers insist that the new code has all but stopped building here, forcing them to go elsewhere in the metro, where it’s cheaper to build, worsening the city’s housing crisis, particularly for affordable housing.

"Only, the lack of affordable housing and of housing in general clearly wasn’t caused by this code, and won’t be eased by watering it down.

"There’s no guarantee that the short-term cost savings from creating an easier path to compliance would even be passed on to consumers."

Actually . . . There's proof of direct causation of scarcity and higher prices but our newspaper friends can't find time to actually listen to builders. 

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Ask the KC Council not to weaken important new green standards for home builders | Opinion

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