APARTMENT ADVOCATE
NATIONAL APARTMENT ASSOCIATION
Federal Advocacy Outlook : Advocate 2023
The latest in federal advocacy as the rental housing industry convenes in Washington , D . C ., to promote responsible affordability solutions .
BY GREG BROWN AND NICOLE UPANO
While Republicans took control of the U . S . House of Representatives in early 2023 as expected , no one foresaw the razor-thin four-seat majority ( 222 – 213 ). In the Senate , Republicans were only given a roughly 50 / 50 chance of taking the chamber , but few expected them to not only pick up zero seats but lose an incumbent seat when now- Senator John Fetterman ( D ) defeated Mehmet Oz ( R ) to replace retiring GOP Senator Pat Toomey . This gave the Democrats the majority , which was further padded with the Georgia runoff when Senator Raphael Warnock ( D ) won re-election over challenger Herschel
Walker ( R ). The predicted red wave ultimately never came to fruition , yet despite the narrow Republican majority in the House , divided government has returned to Washington .
The 118th Congress convened as the National Apartment Association ( NAA ) achieved a key victory at the end of the last Congress : An $ 85 million competitive grant program based on the Yes In My Backyard ( YIMBY ) Act . The program will reward state , local and regional jurisdictions that have made progress in improving inclusionary zoning practices , land use policies and housing infrastructure to increase the supply of affordable housing . The law also directs the U . S .
Department of Housing and Urban Development ( HUD ) to issue best practices for local , state and regional agencies to improve such opportunities for housing development .
White House Launches Renter Protections Plan
As divided government returns to the nation ’ s capital , NAA has long expected increased regulatory action by the Biden Administration as their options to advance their agenda through Congress have become much more limited .
On Jan . 25 , 2023 , the White House outlined a blueprint for a “ Renters Bill of Rights .” Their announcement followed