The National Apartment Association (NAA) represented the rental housing industry in a recent meeting with White House and agency officials charged with carrying out President Biden’s housing agenda, including the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the Department of Defense. NAA’s delegation consisted of Chairman Don Brunner, who balanced the conversation and provided real-life experiences from his role as the President and CEO of BRG Realty Group, and NAA President and CEO Bob Pinnegar.
The discussion focused on resident-centered property management and highlighted best practices that participants have implemented in three areas: provision of safe and decent housing; leasing and compliance; eviction prevention.
Key industry insights include:
- Breaking down misconceptions of rent – 91 cents of each dollar goes towards the expenses that keep apartments running.
- The importance of communicating with residents regularly and throughout the entire leasing cycle. These can include directing residents to available resources and housing supports when residents are unable to pay rent or discussing resolutions for other lease violations.
- Housing providers’ overwhelmingly successful efforts to prevent evictions during the pandemic and keep their residents stably housed.
- Eviction moratoriums and restrictions spurred safety concerns – interference with the eviction process potentially endangers other residents and could keep bad actors in rental housing communities.
- Reiteration that eviction is a last resort and may be necessary to engage with otherwise nonresponsive residents – the goal of the industry is to house members of the communities they serve.
- Accessible rental assistance for housing emergencies, with clear avenues for housing provider applications, and improvements and more robust investments in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program are the best ways for the federal government to prevent displacement and stabilize renters at-risk for eviction.
The White House reiterated their commitment to addressing housing affordability and their intention to use all available levers to implement various renter protections. NAA’s unique ability to share operational expertise as well as the unique challenges and needs of the industry are more critical than ever. NAA will continue to work with all facets of the Administration on rental housing issues and stand up on behalf of the industry.