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
Jul 13, 2026
State and Local HBAs Advance Pro-Housing ReformsFrom New York to Texas, the home building community is working with elected officials to change the regulatory landscape to boost the availability and attainability of housing.
Jul 11, 2026
NAHB Applauds Landmark Housing Bill Becoming LawNAHB Chairman Bill Owens issued the following statement after the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act was enacted into law.
Latest Economic News
Jul 13, 2026
Two or More Story Home Starts Pull Back in 2025Over half of new single-family homes built in 2025 were two or more stories, according to the recent release of the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC). After increasing in 2024, the share of homes started with two or more stories fell in 2025.
Jul 10, 2026
2025 New Single-Family Starts by Census DivisionPersistently high mortgage rates, elevated costs for builders, and ongoing supply-side constraints continued to weigh on single-family construction in 2025.
Jul 09, 2026
Existing Home Sales Slowed in JuneAfter reaching a five-month high last month, existing home sales pulled back in June as record-high home prices and elevated mortgage rates weighed on buyers. This monthly volatility reflects the sensitivity of home buyer demand to mortgage rate changes.