[BREAKING] The hidden homebuying crisis keeping Americans out of the market — and it’s not what you think

Builders reveal that a critical labor shortage in their field is fueling America's housing affordability crisis.

The United States needs more housing, but the industry doesn't have enough workers to build it.

With too few qualified workers to meet growing demand, construction is taking longer, costs are rising, and as a result, America's much-needed housing supply remains limited.

Industry experts point to an aging workforce, a lack of younger Americans entering skilled trades and immigration policies that they say have failed to keep pace with labor needs.

"Labor is one of the most important and expensive inputs when it comes to housing production and land development," Jim Tobin, president and CEO of the National Association of Home Builders, told Fox News Digital.

He said that each month, the construction industry is short approximately 250,000 workers.

"Up to 400,000 jobs have been missing when we were really cooking a few years ago," Tobin said, adding that the job gap "is a persistent shortage." And the industry's labor needs are expected to grow in the coming years.

A recent report from the Home Builders Institute and the National Association of Home Builders estimates that builders will need approximately 723,000 new workers annually to keep pace with demand and help close the nation's 1.5 million-home housing gap.

The shortage is already affecting how quickly homes can be built.

According to Home Builders Institute President and CEO Ed Brady, labor limitations are extending construction timelines and increasing costs.

"This shortage adds nearly two more months to construction timelines, inflating costs and delaying delivery," Brady told Fox News Digital.

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Builders say replenishing the skilled trades pipeline is only part of the solution.

As builders continue to invest in workforce development programs and encourage more young Americans to enter skilled trades, Tobin advocated for immigration reform measures that he said will benefit the industry.

“It's not just about training more people to enter the industry as our current generation moves out of the skilled trades, but also about the immigration problem we have in this country,” he said.

Tobin said many construction jobs do not require a four-year college degree and can provide stable, middle-class careers, but the home construction industry has struggled for years to attract enough workers to replace retiring tradesmen.

At the same time, builders have become increasingly dependent on immigrant labor.

According to the National Association of Home Builders, immigrants make up about one-third of the home construction contractor workforce.

Tobin called on lawmakers to modernize the country's immigration system, including creating legal pathways for workers already in the country and expanding visa opportunities for those seeking construction jobs.

"We have to find a way to modernize our immigration laws," Tobin said.

"We have to create a visa system for people who want to work legally in this country, in the construction industry." Without more workers entering the workforce, Tobin said, builders will continue to face challenges in meeting housing demand and bringing more homes to market.

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