BATON ROUGE — The Home Builders Association of Greater Baton Rouge got a national perspective on the regional market.

Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington with the National Association of Home Builders said the Baton Rouge area has several positives, including a stable labor market and population growth that is higher than national levels.

"The labor market here is stable, growing much faster than the national levels, which is a huge plus. Population growth is also higher compared to the national levels. The single-family market is struggling, but it is not a unique story in the sense that a lot of metro areas around the country is down. However, Louisiana, as a state, single-family permits are up, so which is a huge plus," Nanayakkara-Skillington said.

Experts said the supply side of housing remains a challenge in keeping prices affordable.