On April 17, 2024, the National Apartment Association (NAA) hosted the latest installment of its Advocacy and Legal Webinar (ALW) series. Some key takeaways include:
- Federal Legislative Update: Maria Spencer, NAA’s Director of Federal Legislative Affairs, gave updates on progress with NAA’s “big three” bills that reflect the industry’s federal priorities. She also shared information on three upcoming Congressional Hearings of Interest. Maria highlighted Capitol Hill-related actions impacting the industry, such as a Congressional letter sent to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) cautioning their forthcoming bulk billing rulemaking, and changes in the Appropriations Committee.
- Updates from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Guest speakers Demetria McCain, HUD’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, and Steve Lucas, HUD’s Chief of Staff for the Office of Public and Indian Housing, provided insight into recent HUD “source of income”-related actions—which highlight the agency’s support for legislation that is intended to mandate participation in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. They emphasized strong support for housing providers as partners in HUD programs and alerted attendees to forthcoming HUD guidance and the opportunity to comment on rulemaking, both related to resident screening.
- State and Local Update: Emma Craig, Manager of Public Policy, shared updates on state and local legislative activity of national significance. She promoted NAA’s upcoming Rental Housing Advocacy & Legal Summit (RHALS) and announced keynote speaker Nolan Gray, the Research Director of California Yes In My Backyard (YIMBY).
- Legal Update: Lauren Shelton, Staff Paralegal, highlighted the latest legal news from across the country including four cases with implications for the rental housing industry. She shared a new tool released by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that aims to report scams, fraud and bad business practices. Lauren also spoke about two cases regarding short-term rentals and provided updates on CARES Act notices.
Check out the whole April ALW by watching the recording here.
About ALW
Don’t miss the next installments of NAA’s ALW on May 22. Register here.
Hosted by NAA staff, exclusively for the Association’s members and affiliate partners, the ALW series digests:
- The latest news from Washington, DC, including a progress report on our federal advocacy priorities as well as legislative and regulatory activities of interest to the rental housing industry and what emerging issues are on the horizon;
- Important housing policy changes to state and local laws and the NAA affiliate network’s advocacy efforts and
- Legal news that could affect industry operations.