Apartment Trends Magazine September 2020 | Page 36

APARTMENT ADVOCATE
NATIONAL APARTMENT ASSOCIATION /
NATIONAL MULTIFAMILY HOUSING COUNCIL
Harris Pick Shakes Up
Biden’s Housing Priorities
When Kamala Harris’ presidential
campaign ended in December
2019, many thought it would be
the end of the California senator’s journey
to the White House. But Joe Biden’s promise
of selecting a female vice presidential
running mate, and growing calls for woman
of color to be selected, brought her back
into focus. With Sen. Harris formally added
to the Democratic ticket, she has brought
new life to the campaign trail with the
prospect of her pitted against Vice President
Mike Pence at the October 7 debate. She
is expected to gin up her a massive online
presence and have major influence on the
ticket’s policy formulation.
What does this spell for Biden’s housing
policy? The answer is quite a bit.
On most housing issues, Biden and
Harris closely align. One facet of Biden’s
housing strategy includes the establishment
of a federal right-to-counsel standard for
individuals facing eviction. Earlier this year,
Harris introduced the Rent Emergencies
Leave Impacts on Evicted Families (RELIEF
Act) in response to the growing COVID-19
pandemic. The bill would effectively ban
evictions for 18-months, place a halt of
rent increases during that period, and
create a renters legal assistance fund to
combat evictions. While well intentioned,
the policies proposed in this bill would be
devastating to the rental housing industry,
affect its long term viability and exacerbate
existing housing affordability challenges
around the country, not to mention,
ultimately, impede the economic recovery
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On climate, both Biden and Harris
share an ambitious approach to enacting
progressive green policy. Biden’s climate
plan sees a net-zero emissions United
States no later than 2050 and a reduction
in the carbon footprint of the country’s
building stock by 50 percent by 2035.
Harris signaled during her own campaign
similar sentiment, zeroing in on the impact
environmental change has on low-income
communities. Whatever the outcome of
Biden’s environmental initiatives, the plan
must contend the high cost and impact
on affordability that deep energy efficient
retrofits can have on a property. Any plan
must ensure that property owners are
granted broad access to the resources
necessary to keep up with the plan’s goals.
Roofing Painting Carpentry
Welding Gutters Concrete Commercial
195 Telluride Street, Suite 3
Brighton, Colorado 80601
720-791-5701
34 | TRENDS SEPTEMBER 2020 www.aamdhq.org