informing them of the new vouchers providing a deadline of September 2 to accept or decline the increase .
Policy Outlook
The National Apartment Association ( NAA ) urges policymakers to adopt responsible and sustainable housing policies . Additional vouchers and FMR increases are desperately needed for lowand moderate-income households and housing providers who have been thrust into financial uncertainty amid economic turmoil due to the pandemic .
New Fair Housing Resources Now Available
NAA has launched two new important fair housing toolkits . Learn more about these resources .
Nevertheless , there is more to be done . The HCV Program is fraught with payment delays , impractical inspection requirements and administrative red tape which makes housing provider participation infeasible in countless markets . To help address the industry ’ s concerns , NAA continue to prioritize and encourage support for the Choice in Affordable Housing Act ( S . 1820 / H . R . 6880 ), introduced by Senators Chris Coons ( D-DE ) and Kevin Cramer ( R-ND ) in the Senate , and by Representatives Emmanuel Cleaver ( D-MO-05 ) and John Katko ( R-NY-24 ) in the House .
NAA worked closely with the bill ’ s sponsors to include several industry priorities , which were formulated with NAA member feedback , in the legislation to speed up tenancy approval processes , reduce duplicative inspections requirements and provide better ongoing support for housing provider participants . We look forward to continuing this work with Congress and the Administration to advance the industry ’ s advocacy goals and responsibly and sustainably address the nation ’ s housing affordability challenges .
The National Apartment Association ( NAA ) continues to lead the way as the premier resource for housing industry professionals with the latest release of two important fair housing toolkits . In August , NAA unveiled two new resources , the NAA Emotional Support Animal ( ESA ) Toolkit – 2022 Edition and the NAA Accessible Design and Construction Toolkit , to assist industry practitioners as they navigate the complex regulatory landscape associated with fair housing compliance . More on the toolkits , including a recording from the virtual kick off event , presentation slides and how to purchase the toolkits , can be found here :
The most requested accommodation is for a housing provider to allow an assistance animal that would normally be prohibited to reside with the resident . These accommodation requests bring complexity to the leasing process and can expose housing providers to potential fair housing compliance risk . The NAA Emotional Support Animal Toolkit – 2022 Edition has been developed and enhanced to inform industry professionals of their fair housing obligations when an applicant or resident requests an assistance animal . The toolkit also offers support for navigating fraudulent requests for emotional support animals , contains sample leasing forms , troubleshoots common ESA-related scenarios , and so much more .
As lawmakers focus their attention on building codes and enact policy that more stringently regulates building design , it will be critical for housing providers to understand the importance of creating accessible communities . The NAA Accessible Design and Construction Toolkit educates industry professionals on their fair housing responsibilities which require rental housing providers to keep their physical properties accessible to disabled persons .
NAA is proud to offer these toolkits as a commitment to understanding and complying with fair housing law . Our industry strongly supports the rights of persons with disabilities to make reasonable accommodation requests so they may have equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling . www . aamdhq . org OCTOBER 2022 TRENDS | 47