Say NO to Federal Rent Control! Act Today!

As part of the Biden Administration’s “Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights,” the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently released a Request for Input (RFI) seeking feedback on the potential addition of tenant protections for properties using federally-backed financing. This exercise could result in the adoption of a range of negative policies including national rent control, a “source of income” mandate requiring acceptance of Section 8 vouchers, just cause eviction requirements that effectively prohibit nonrenewals, and extended notice procedures for residents in federally-backed properties, to name a few.

On July 18, 2023, the National Apartment Association (NAA) launched a grassroots call to action to empower members to respond to this RFI. NAA urges members to submit comments to the FHFA to tell them federal intrusion into the numerous state and local laws that the apartment industry already complies with is not warranted and will do nothing to solve the affordability crisis. Nearly 1000 members have already made their voices heard. Join them by acting today!

Yes In My Backyard (YIMBY) Goes for Advocacy 

Recent developments on Capitol Hill present two strong opportunities to engage Members of Congress this summer: 

• The bipartisan Yes In My Backyard (YIMBY) Act (S. 1688/H.R. 3507) has been reintroduced in Congress. 
• Reps. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) and Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) introduced the Choice in Affordable Housing Act (S. 32/HR 4606) in the House on July 13, 2023.

Bill cosponsors are needed to convince key Members of Congress that the legislation enjoys broad bipartisan support sufficient to advance them to the next step in the legislative process. Urging Members of Congress to cosponsor YIMBY and/or the Choice in Affordable Housing Act is the perfect opportunity for NAA advocates to engage their policymakers from their own backyards. NAA’s grassroots advocacy team has rebooted its At Home Program to empower and support NAA advocates’ efforts to engage their Members of Congress while they are back home this summer and fall. 

Register and NAA will follow up with more information and resources. 

Questions? Contact Seth Turner, NAA Sr. Manager of Grassroots Advocacy and Affiliate Engagement

External Affairs: Convening Leaders to Expand Housing Supply

On July 18, 2023, NAA Director of External Affairs April Capone took part in an “Issue Convening” on housing finance hosted by the Housing Supply Accelerator. The Accelerator is a national campaign to improve local capacity, identify critical solutions and speed reforms that enable communities and developers to work together to produce, preserve and provide a diverse range of quality housing by realigning the efforts of public and private stakeholders in the housing sector to meet housing needs at the local level.  

Topics of the convening included:

• The basics of the financing required to produce a unit of housing;
• The role and response of financial institutions in producing and preserving housing supply;
• Local housing policies and programs that have been created through public-private partnerships to increase, preserve, and improve local housing supply’ and
• How cities can utilize state and federal programs to expand and preserve local housing supply.

A partnership between the National League of Cities (NLC) and the American Planning Association (APA), the Accelerator brings together local governments, community planners, builders, financial institutions, housing policy associations and state and federal partners to develop, align and advance solutions for housing supply challenges at the local level. NAA joined the Accelerator earlier this spring as part of NAA’s ongoing engagement with NLC and other local stakeholder groups that take an interest in housing policy.

Questions? Contact April Capone, NAA Director of External Affairs

NAAPAC: No Time For a Vacation

As of July 18, NAAPAC has raised over $720,000 and is making steady progress toward our fundraising goal of $1.2 million for 2023. If achieved, this fundraising goal will represent a record haul for NAAPAC. Suppliers continue to play a huge part in our fundraising success, as they have contributed over $344,000 to NAAPAC so far. This total is well on its way to the National Suppliers Council 2023 goal of $415,000. Thank you for your support, Suppliers!

NAAPAC would like to recognize the following 62 individuals who are part of an ever-growing list of Platinum donors that go above and beyond in their support:

• Anonymous
• Bill Armfield
• Dan Berger
• Edward Biskind
• Jeff Blevins
• Chris Burns
• Carolyn Busker
• Chris Carter
• Diane Caton
• Sarit Catz
• Brian Chase
• Leah Christian
• Cindy Clare
• Steve Colella
• David Couch
• Terry Danner
• Kirk Downey
• Chris Dunbar
• Chris Evans
• Jacob Garza
• Mike Gorman
• Billy Griffin
• Bruce Hellman
• Mike Holmes
• Mark Hurley
• Demetrio Jimenez
• Rick Jones
• Chris Karsaz
• Alan King
• Curt Knabe
• David Legow
• Steve Lightner
• Pam Lovell
• Jeffrey March
• Jeanette March
• Pinson Neal
• Judy Olive
• Eric Overhage
• Jay Parmelee, CPM
• Susan Passmore
• Bob Pinnegar
• Norm Praet
• Ronda Puryear
• Steve Rappin
• Laura Reese-Williams
• Jackie Rhone
• Warren Rose
• Marc Ross
• Andrew Schor
• Bonnie Smetzer
• Matthew Smith
• Rick Snyder
• Susan Stroud
• Charles Stroud
• Suan Tinsley
• David Vasquez
• Dean Weidner
• Todd Whitlow
• Wayne Williams
• Amy Wise
• Chandler Wonderly
• Joel Worcester

Affiliate Update

NAA affiliates are increasingly making headway toward meeting their Fund Our Future goal for 2023. Presently, 29 affiliates have reached their fundraising goal for the year. To track your own affiliate’s progress, please click here. We are grateful to all of our affiliates who are working hard to strengthen the impact of NAAPAC.

Enter to Win NAAPAC’s Summer Sweepstakes!

Last month, NAAPAC launched its Summer Sweepstakes, which is a choice between a magnificent spa retreat in Scottsdale, Ariz.; an incredible tour of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, a multi-day luxury hotel stay, and a visit to the Louisville Slugger Museum; or a $2,500 gift card. Tickets are only $10 and can be purchased here through Sept. 30!