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

IBS

Jul 27, 2026

Precision Planning Keeps The New American Home 2027 on Track

As construction quickly progresses on the 2027 exhibit home of the International Builders' Show, the project is strategically navigating one of its most demanding phases: the rough-in.

Advocacy | Economics

Jul 24, 2026

Podcast: Exploring Next Steps on the ROAD to Housing

On the latest episode of NAHB’s podcast, Housing Developments, CEO Jim Tobin and COO Paul Lopez discuss what’s next following the enactment of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, how state and local HBAs are tackling key issues in their areas, and the latest economic data.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Jul 27, 2026

Share of Apartments Built in Buildings with 50+ Units Moves Higher in 2025

Following the highest number of multifamily completions in nearly 40 years in 2024, completions declined in 2025 to 484,000, according to NAHB analysis of the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction. For the ninth consecutive year, a majority of new multifamily units were in buildings with 50 or more units (labeled as high-density buildings) at 57%, the highest share since 2021.

Economics

Jul 24, 2026

New Home Sales Edge Higher as Affordability Challenges Persist

Affordability challenges continued to weigh on the new-home market in June, as elevated mortgage rates, rising inflation and broader economic uncertainty kept many prospective buyers on the sidelines.

Economics

Jul 23, 2026

Acquisitions Increasing Among Home Builders

At the start of 2026, most home builders predicted that high mortgage rates and hesitancy among buyers would be their toughest challenges this year. They weren’t wrong: the 30-year mortgage rate averaged 6.49% in June and housing demand has weakened, as reflected by flat mortgage applications in the first half of the year.