Home builder Kevin Kelly meets with Congressional leaders on housing

Veteran builder and developer Kevin Kelly, president of Leon N. Weiner & Associates based in Wilmington, met recently with Congressional leaders to urge them to make housing and homeownership a national priority, and to support policies that will help the housing market get back on track.

In meetings with senators Chris Coons and Thomas Carper and Rep. John Carney, Kelly, who is also second vice chairman of the National Association of Home Builders, emphasized the importance of stabilizing the housing market in order to create jobs and spur economic growth. He also met with Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Georgia, and HUD Sec. Shaun Donovan on similar issues.

"While there have been some encouraging signs of improvement in certain areas, the housing market is still very fragile and faces several obstacles to reaching a full recovery," said Kelly. "It is critical that our elected officials recognize the importance of our industry and its contribution to the overall economy. Now is the time to act, and get housing back on track, so it can return to being an economic growth engine and job creator."

The meetings took place on Capitol Hill last week as part of the NAHB's Legislative Conference, in which more than 700 home builders from across the county came to Washington, D.C., to call on their local Congressional representatives to support housing.

Kelly called on his representatives and the other members of Congress to take concrete steps to repair the housing market, including restoring the flow of credit to qualified home buyers and home builders, passing comprehensive legislation to reform government sponsored entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and reducing overly burdensome regulations that are hampering a housing recovery.

Since 1949, Leon N. Weiner & Associates has built and sold over 5,000 single-family, detached and attached homes in Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The firm is a nationally recognized leader in affordable housing for urban infill, suburban, and rural communities. The company is an active participant in affordable housing in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.