NAHB Mourns Passing of Former Staff Member Gopal Ahluwalia
NAHB mourns the passing of Gopal Ahluwalia, a longtime NAHB staff member, on March 3. He was 94.
Ahluwalia served as vice president of research of NAHB for 32 years, overseeing the research, analytical and data needs of the association. He was responsible for the planning, development and analysis of the large volume of data that the organization collected from both primary and secondary sources. He also tracked trends in design, features, products and layout of new homes, as well as smart growth, environmental issues, green building, construction cost, cost of regulations and impact fees.
He continued in the field of home building research after leaving the NAHB, and lent his expertise to many publications and private companies as the owner of GBA Research and Consulting.
“Gopal was a much sought-after industry expert on housing and home building for decades,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “His residential construction research affected millions in terms of home design and the construction plans of NAHB members across the nation.”
“Gopal shared his wisdom and experience enthusiastically, mentoring many of us at the start of our careers,” said Rose Quint, NAHB assistant vice president of survey research. “On our behalf, thank you.”
Ahluwalia lived in Potomac, MD, and is survived by his wife, Brij; his son, Amit, and his wife, Seema; his daughter, Amrita, and her husband, Rudra Rai; and his grandchildren — Mira, Sachi, Neil, Devan, Dev and Leena.
Services will be held Friday and Saturday.
Latest from NAHBNow
May 19, 2026
Single-Family Home Building Permits Tank in First Quarter as Multifamily RisesElevated financing costs, ongoing affordability challenges, and softer builder sentiment continued to weigh on single-family construction activity, while multifamily permitting remained supported by demand for rental housing.
May 19, 2026
Project Planning Tips to Boost ProfitabilityLearn all the best ways to develop and follow a clear project schedule to increase profitability and your client's satisfaction in NAHB's live online course The Project Schedule: A Planning and Communication Tool.
Latest Economic News
May 19, 2026
Who Drives Remodeling Spending?Residential remodeling is an important and growing sector of the housing market, particularly as elevated mortgage rates and limited housing inventory encourage many homeowners to improve their existing homes rather than move.
May 18, 2026
Builder Sentiment Posts Gain in May but Significant Affordability Challenges PersistBuilder confidence posted a modest gain in May even as buyers grapple with rising mortgage rates and economic uncertainty while builders continue to contend with elevated land, labor and construction costs.
May 15, 2026
Credit for Builders Tightens in the First Quarter, But Only SlightlyCredit conditions on loans for residential Land Acquisition, Development & Construction (AD&C) were still tightening in the first quarter of 2026, but only slightly, according to NAHB’s quarterly survey on AD&C Financing.