Key Takeaways

1. Key leaders from NAA – including 2022 Chairman Don Brunner – met with HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman.
2. The conversation was a follow-up to a promising dialogue that Todman had with NAA’s Board of Directors at this year’s Advocate conference in March.
3. Their dialogue focused heavily on discussing the industry perspective on HUD’s strategic priorities and represents NAA’s expanding effort to impact federal regulatory policymaking. 

Key NAA leaders met with HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman to continue a productive conversation that started at NAA’s 2022 Advocate conference.

On May 12, 2022, volunteer leaders from the National Apartment Association (NAA) met with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman in Washington, D.C. The meeting stemmed from an initial conversation that Todman held with NAA’s Board of Directors at this year’s Advocate conference, and focused heavily on aligning the rental housing industry’s perspectives with HUD’s strategic priorities for the year ahead. “It was an honor to meet with HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman, and we are grateful that she took the time to listen to our perspective,” said Don Brunner, President and CEO, BRG Realty Group, and NAA’s 2022 Chairman.

Several key NAA leaders from across the rental housing industry – alongside members of the association’s government affairs staff – engaged in a productive and promising conversation with Todman at the meeting. Broadly, the leaders identified three of HUD’s priorities where the industry could provide insight: HUD’s goals to support underserved communities, increase the supply of housing and improve rental assistance. Throughout the dialogue, NAA’s leaders provided perspective, addressed industry concerns, proposed solutions and identified potential areas of collaboration between the industry and HUD, emphasizing NAA’s steadfast commitment to both short- and long-term sustainable solutions to address the nation’s housing affordability challenges.

Much of the discussion focused on HUD’s Section 8

Jeff March, Executive Chairman, BRG Realty Group, and NAA’s 2022 Legislative Committee Chairman, said that “while there are certainly programmatic challenges, there are also areas of agreement such as our mutual support of the Choice in Affordable Housing Act.” Further, March said that “by working together, we can improve the effectiveness and consistency of the Public Housing Authorities [PHAs], thereby improving the outcomes for low- and moderate-income families.”

The meeting concluded with an encouraging outlook on the future. “This meeting, along with the Deputy Secretary’s appearance at Advocate, bodes well for improved communication between NAA, its members and HUD going forward,” said Brunner. “We are encouraged by Deputy Secretary Todman’s interest in continuing these conversations in the future.” Ultimately, this meeting reinforces NAA’s commitment to engage partners at all levels of government to ensure the unique voice of the rental housing industry is heard and valued. Further, the meeting reflects NAA’s expanding effort to impact federal regulatory policymaking, which affects rental housing providers as much as, or even more than, federal legislative policy.