Arlington, Va. – The National Apartment Association (NAA) and National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) thank members of Congress for their continued focus on supporting apartment residents and the multifamily industry as we continue to confront unprecedented challenges caused by the outbreak of COVID-19.
In a letter to Congressional leadership, NAA and NMHC shared the views of the apartment industry on the Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act of 2020 (H.R. 7301) and the continued efforts of lawmakers to provide relief to American families and businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
At a time when millions of apartment residents are facing financial hardships, this legislation contains several elements that we strongly support, including emergency rental assistance, liquidity for multifamily mortgages and servicers, additional funding for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other critical federal housing programs and support for rural housing.
While NAA and NMHC are supportive of aspects of the bill aimed at protecting the housing of those who have been impacted by COVID-19 through robust financial assistance and programs designed to keep renters from ever missing an initial rental payment, the apartment industry remains seriously concerned that the expansion of the federal eviction moratorium will undermine the benefits of other provisions. A protracted eviction moratorium does not provide a sustainable, long-term solution for American families facing financial hardship and we oppose the inclusion of this provision for the severe consequences it will have that ultimately blunt the impact of the positive components of the legislation.
On behalf of the apartment industry, we again applaud lawmakers for their efforts to support the tens of millions of Americans who call an apartment home. As H.R. 7301 moves forward, NAA and NMHC urge policymakers to provide much-needed support and protections while not undertaking programs that would exacerbate the country’s housing affordability challenges and undermine other important programs included in the legislation.
The letter from NMHC and NAA to Congressional leadership on H.R. 7301 can be found here.
More resources on COVID-19 from NAA and NMHC and NAA can be found here and here.
* * *
For more than 25 years, the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and the National Apartment Association (NAA) have partnered on behalf of America's apartment industry. Drawing on the knowledge and policy expertise of staff in Washington, D.C., as well as the advocacy power of 155 NAA state and local affiliated associations, NAA and NMHC provide a single voice for developers, owners and operators of multifamily rental housing. One-third of all Americans rent their housing, and 40 million of them live in an apartment home.