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
Sales of newly built single-family homes increased 6.4% in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 684,000, following an upwardly revised July estimate, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. The pace of new home sales was 2% lower than a year earlier.
The smart home is entering a new era and builders have an opportunity to get ahead of what home owners will expect next. Join the NAHB Leading Suppliers Council for a free, two-part webinar on Monday, Sept. 28, to get a closer look at the technologies shaping the future of housing.
Latest Economic News
Adults ages 55 and older make up a large and growing share of the U.S. population and play an important role in the U.S. housing market. In 2024, around 103 million Americans were ages 55 or older, ranging from adults still in the labor force to retirees.
Single-family homes started construction in 2025 typically had two full bathrooms, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Construction.
The remodeling industry is taking on a larger role within the residential construction sector. Structural tailwinds, such as an aging housing stock, the growing trend of aging-in-place among older home owners, and record-high housing wealth, will continue to grow remodeling’s market share further.