The Home Depot announced that Ann-Marie Campbell, senior executive vice president, and Richard McPhail, executive vice president and chief financial officer, will be filling in for Chief Executive Officer Ted Decker as he takes a medical leave of absence. The company expects Decker to return within a few months.
The number of single-family home permits in the first half of the year totaled 465,301, a 4.2% decrease from last year at the same time, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Single-family permitting declined in all four regions through June, while multifamily permits increased in the South but took a hit in the other three (Midwest, Northeast, West).
Home services software provider Houzz (Palo Alto, Calif.) announced the opening of its 2027 scholarship applications portal. The program awards five $2,500 scholarships to students who fall into one of the following categories: Women in Architecture, Residential Design, Sustainable Residential Design, Residential Construction Management and Skilled Trades. Students of interior design, construction, architecture, landscape architecture, architectural engineering and the skilled trades are encouraged to apply. The deadline for 2027 scholarship applications is March 31, 2027. Learn more and apply here.
Homeownership declined to 65% in the second quarter, a rate that was unchanged from last year and not statistically different from the first quarter (65.3%), according to the National Association of Home Builders’ analysis of the U.S. Census’s Housing Vacancy Survey. Although the decrease was minimal, NAHB viewed it as another reflection of significant affordability challenges.
