APARTMENT ADVOCATE
NATIONAL APARTMENT ASSOCIATION
Federal Advocacy Outlook : Washington Heads into 2024
The Past Year Has Been A Record For Rental Housing Policy , With More Activity Anticipated In The New Year .
By Greg Brown & Nicole Upano
Undoubtedly , the past year featured record attention on rental housing policy at all levels of government , especially nationally . From the halls of Congress to numerous executive branch agencies , federal lawmakers are exploring high-stakes policies that could impact the rental housing industry — with more activity expected in the year ahead .
To help cut through the noise , here is an update on the National Apartment Association ’ s ( NAA ) progress to pursue responsible housing policies and push back on increased regulatory activity that works to federalize landlord-tenant law , as well as some key developments to expect in 2024 .
TODAY ’ S FEDERAL LANDSCAPE
In Congress , representatives in both chambers continue to focus on federal funding levels for the new year . In November , Congress passed and President Biden signed a continuing resolution ( CR ) that set two deadlines for current funding to expire . Four federal agencies , including the U . S . Department of Housing and Urban Development ( HUD ), are funded until Jan . 19 , 2024 , while additional agencies and the National Flood Insurance Program ( NFIP ) were extended until Feb . 2 , 2024 .
During this process , NAA worked to secure a critical amendment in the House Transportation , Housing and Urban Development ( THUD ) Fiscal Year 2024
( FY2024 ) spending bill that would add funding to the Community Development Fund for the HUD PRO Housing Grant program , closely aligning with the aims of the Yes In My Backyard ( YIMBY ) Act . Notably , this amendment was the only Democratic amendment accepted by the Republicancontrolled House .
Congress has a considerable amount of work to complete ahead of the two CR expiration dates . For one , the current proposed spending levels in the House are more than 8 % below what the Senate has allocated , including for YIMBY grants , support of the HOME Investment Partnership Program , Housing Choice Vouchers ( HCV ) and rental assistance . A conference committee would need to
38 | TRENDS JANUARY 2024 www . aamdhq . org