NAHB Mourns Passing of Former Staff Member Gopal Ahluwalia

Economics
Published

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.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Legal | Association Management
Sep 22, 2026
Indiana Supreme Court to Decide If an Association Can Sue on Behalf of Its Members

The legal doctrine of "associational standing" continues to face scrutiny across the country, and the latest challenge is now before the Indiana Supreme Court.

IBS
Sep 22, 2026
IBS 2027 Show Home Pursues Ambitious Performance Goals

Performance is playing a central role in the construction of The New American Home 2027, the flagship exhibit of the upcoming International Builders’ Show. From the building envelope to the mechanical systems and solar installation, the project has been designed with lofty energy-efficiency targets in mind.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics
Sep 18, 2026
State-Level Employment Situation: August 2026

State labor markets showed mixed results in August, with nonfarm payroll employment increasing in a majority of states. At the same time, construction employment posted a net gain nationally, although employment trends varied across states. The unemployment rate also remained relatively low in several states, while D.C. continued to record the nation’s highest rate.

Economics
Sep 17, 2026
Single-Family Starts Rebound but Market Challenges Persist

Single-family housing starts rebounded in August, but production remains down 4.7% year to date as builders contend with rising construction costs, lot and labor shortages, and economic uncertainty.

Economics
Sep 16, 2026
With Inflation Uptick, Fed Hikes and Signals More to Come

The Federal Reserve raised the federal funds rate by 25 basis points at the conclusion of its September policy meeting, bringing the target range to 3.75% to 4%.