Homebuilders and economists have said a deeper labor shortage could cause housing costs to spike. The issue is the construction labor force, whose 500,000-worker shortage is already making conditions more challenging. Related Video Musk visits border, calls for Trump-style wallForeign-born workers make up about a quarter of the construction workforce. They argue that the surge in home costs is largely a result of the nationwide housing shortage, and immigrants are a key part of building housing. AdvertisementDuring the pandemic, many older, experienced workers retired, and the pipeline of younger US-born workers isn't sufficient, homebuilders say.

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Persons: Homebuilding execs, Donald Trump's, —, Eric Finnigan, John Burns, Ben Metcalf, Jim Tobin, JD Vance, Trump, Vance, Barack Obama, Obama, Joe Biden, Tom Homan, Chad Blocker, Homebuilders, Dennis Webb Organizations: Service, Trump, University of California, National Association of Home Builders, Immigration, Biden Locations: Berkeley, Los Angeles, Phoenix