In March, a record number of rental housing professionals from across the country convened in the nation’s capital for Advocate, NAA’s annual advocacy conference and Congressional fly-in. In total, 785 advocates – including more than 230 first-time attendees – traveled to Washington to promote responsible sustainable housing policies.
The weeklong event kicked off on Tuesday with an afternoon of informative and interactive sessions on advocacy. First-timers had the opportunity to practice and hone their pitches for Capitol Hill, and all attendees heard the latest in housing politics from NAA’s government affairs team. Amy Walter, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter and popular on-air political analyst, delivered a keynote address on the ever-evolving political landscape ahead of the 2024 election in November.
On Wednesday, teams of industry professionals led by NAA’s 141 state and local affiliate partners took to Capitol Hill to meet with their representatives and stand strong for the importance of rental housing in their communities. In total, industry professionals held more than 230 meetings with Congress. More importantly, post-meeting reports indicate that 20 Members of Congress agreed to take the actions our advocates requested.
For industry advocates, protecting the nation’s rental housing infrastructure and easing housing affordability challenges long-term were among the top priorities on Capitol Hill. Specifically, industry professionals asked their members of Congress to:
- End the federal CARES Act notice to vacate requirement (S.3755/H.R. 802, “The Respect State Housing Laws Act”)
- Lower local barriers to apartment development and increase housing supply (S.1688/H.R. 3507, “The Yes In My Back Yard Act”)
- Improve HUD’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program and head off source of income protections (S. 32/HR. 4606, “The Choice in Affordable Housing Act”)
Hitting another milestone this Congress, NAA led efforts to introduce House and Senate companion bills for all three of the industry’s priority legislative issues. While these three asks were the focus of prior Advocate events, industry advocates stressed urgency and encouraged their Members of Congress to help get these priorities across the finish line before the end of the 118th Congress.
Throughout the event, attendees also heard from several notable speakers from across the federal government, including speakers from HUD, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the House Financial Services Committee. Adrianne Todman, HUD’s Deputy Secretary and soon-to-be Acting Secretary, notably addressed NAA’s Board of Directors for the third year in a row, opening the floor for questions and leaving the door open for continued dialogue and conversation in the months to come. “I want to thank you,” Todman noted in her remarks. “Thank you for the role you play in housing Americans.”